Mariposa
by Daddy's LiL HeartBreaker
Summary: She is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma. Okay, maybe not quite, but close enough. She's been best friends with Kensi Blye since they were ten years old. No one understands her connection with Hetty except maybe Kensi. Will her distinct aversion to G push him away for good or will Callen find that she is a mystery worth solving after all?
1. Chapter 1

Title: Mariposa

Summary: She is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma. Okay, maybe not quite, but close enough. She's been best friends with Kensi Blye since they were ten years old. No one understands her connection with Hetty except maybe Kensi. Will her distinct aversion of G push him away for good or will Callen find that she is a mystery worth solving after all?

Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize here.

Author's Note: I've been on a major NCIS: LA kick lately.

* * *

Mariposa

* * *

 _"Did you really think I wasn't going to find you, Hetty?" Her hands were on her hips worry clearly shown in her brown eyes._

 _"Oh I knew you'd find me first, dear, but we both know full well the team won't be far behind." The older woman walked around her and sighed softly._

 _"Hetty, what's going on? Why are you here in Romania?"_

 _"It's just a little unfinished business. Nothing for you to worry about. I'll be fine. Go back to the States, Mariposa." She assured the younger woman giving her a hug._

 _The brunette gave in reluctantly agreeing to return home. Of course that didn't mean she was going right away. She knew how to stay hidden. After all, she learned from the best. True to Hetty's word, the team had arrived in Romania not too long after the young woman had. She managed to stay out of the team's sight until things took a tragic turn for the worse when Hetty was shot. It wasn't too hard slipping into the local Romanian hospital that Hetty was recovering in undetected. Getting into her actual room was trickier, but she managed to get in for a few moments anyway. The sight of the petite older woman laying in the hospital bed looking frail broke her heart. She took a seat beside her bed blinking back a few tears as she held her hand._

 _"Oh Hetty! I knew it wasn't a good idea to leave. Look, I can't stay long, but the doctors say you're going to make a full recovery. The arrangements are already made to get you back home safe and sound. You just rest up, okay?" The brunette squeezed her hand pressing a kiss to her head gently._

 _As she slipped out of Hetty's room, G Callen was walking down the hall in the same direction. She could hear him clearly yell hey at her as she hurried away. He informed the team giving a description of her as he made his way into Hetty's room to check on the older woman. A sigh of relief fell from his lips when he realized she was unharmed. It was then that Hetty spoke for the first time since she had been shot._

 _"Mariposa..."_

.

Despite investigating, they never could figure out the significance of mariposa, the Spanish word for butterfly, or the identity of the mystery woman leaving Hetty's hospital room. The older woman made a full recovery just as the doctors had said. Of course her recovery time hadn't stopped Callen from confronting her about Romania wanting to know what she wasn't telling him about his past and family. It was mid confrontation that the young brunette walked in carrying groceries. She rolled her warm brown eyes as she walked by checking on Hetty before heading to the kitchen.

Curiosity won out and Callen found himself following her. "Who are you?"

"Charlotte. Everyone calls me Charlie though. I'm taking care of Hetty during her recuperation." The brunette moved around him as she put things away.

His vibrant blue eyes followed her every move throughout the room. "I'm..."

"G Callen, the reason she got shot. Yeah, I know." Charlie interjected scoffing slightly clearly unimpressed with him.

The older man stiffened slightly at her words. "Charlie..."

"What? It's true. If she hadn't gone to Romania to protect you, she'd be fine right now." She huffed moving to boil some water for Hetty's tea.

"Charlotte Grace, that's enough out of you."

"Hetty.." She trailed off as they turned around to see the older woman standing just outside the kitchen.

"Don't Hetty me. I appreciate all you've done for me during my recovery period, but I think I can handle it from here on out."

Callen eyed them both curiously before looking at Hetty. "How does she know about Romania?"

"She told the doctor she had been mugged in Romania. When we got back here, I asked her to tell me the truth." She sighed knowing full well it wasn't the whole truth as she said goodbye to Hetty before walking out.

"Charlie is a very dear friend of our Miss Blye. I trust her to keep what is said between us in confidence." Hetty nodded her head moving about as she poured herself a cup of tea.

Before he could question it any further, his phone rang and he was called in on a case. It was on his way out the door that one of the many framed pictures Hetty had around her home caught his eye. The photograph in question was of a young girl sitting on a swing and around her neck was a silver necklace. It was the pendant that dangled from the necklace that really caught his eye. It was a butterfly.

.

 _"Come on, Kens, live a little. We'll be back before they even know we're gone." Fifteen year old Charlie laughed softly as she flopped down onto her best friend's bed._

 _The taller of the pair shook her head before grinning softly. "Fine. We're seeing Titanic, right?"_

 _"Of course. Like any of us would really pass up the chance to see Leo's handsome face on the big screen." She sighed dreamily with a goofy smile on her face._

 _Kensi shot her best friend a knowing look. "You would to go chat up Dylan at the concessions stand."_

 _"Oh my god! I would not! Shut up." Charlie laughed blushing as she threw a pillow at Kensi's head._

 _She caught the pillow and laughed tossing it back at her. "Yes, you would. Is he even working tonight?"_

 _"Nope. He's out of town visiting family for the holidays. Come on, we're meeting the rest of the girls there and I don't want to miss the previews."_

.

A marine's death by car accident was tragic, yes, but it was no case for the NCIS Office of Special Projects. It only landed in their radar once other marines from the same unit also turned up dead in car accidents. Kensi appeared as if she had seen a ghost as the OSP team tech Eric Beale read off the names of the victims. It was the last name that made her gasp and choke back a sob. Her partner Marty Deeks made it to her side first consoling her the best that he could. It was only when she finally regained her composure that the team finally understood what was going on. The victims were all members of her late father's unit. Still, Callen felt there was something the younger agent was holding back. He looked over the information about the victims and that was when he saw what Kensi wasn't saying. A shriek caught their attention and he glanced up only to see a familiar brunette sobbing in Hetty's office. It was only moments later that Kensi was in the office as well consoling her friend. Her sadness soon turned into anger when Kensi was hauled away as the prime suspect in the murders.

"It wasn't her! Kensi would never...she just wouldn't. She's a good person, damn it." Charlie shook her head angrily clutching a tissue in her hand.

Callen sighed placing his hand on her shoulder comfortingly. "We know. Believe me, we know. I'm sorry about your father."

"He was on a fishing trip. He loves..loved...to fish. It calms..calmed him. God, we were supposed to have lunch today. He wanted to tell me something." She sniffled fidgeting with the hem of her skirt.

"What did he want to tell you?" Deeks' tone was soft as he sat down beside her.

"I don't know, Marty. He just...he said that it was important and that he couldn't tell me over the phone. It was yesterday. That was the last time we..we spoke. I can't.. I can't do this. I need Kensi." Charlie broke down again.

.

The angry brunette kicked the chair away and sighed. It probably wasn't helping her case, but at the moment she didn't care. The door opened and she was about to yell when she saw it wasn't the assistant director of NCIS, Owen Granger. Instead it was Callen's partner, Sam Hanna, and Kensi couldn't be more relieved. She hugged him allowing herself to break down for a moment.

Once she regained her composure, Kensi sat back down ignoring the fact that they were currently in the boatshed. "How's Charlie?"

"She's tougher than she looks. She's heartbroken, but she's hanging in there. How are you?" Sam looked down at his teammate and friend.

She sighed shaking her head at his words. "I didn't do this, Sam. I would never... I'd never make her go through what I did."

"Believe me, we know. We're going to figure this out, I promise. Now when was the last time you saw the men from your father's unit?" His tone softened as he moved to sit down.

Kensi nodded her head at him. "Not since his funeral. The only one I've stayed in touch with was Charlie's dad. I couldn't tell you if he's been in touch with them. Charlie would know that better than I would."

"Alright, I'm going to check in with G. See if he found anything. Just hang tight. We'll get you out of this."


	2. Chapter 2

Title: Mariposa

Summary: She is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma. Okay, maybe not quite, but close enough. She's been best friends with Kensi Blye since they were ten years old. No one understands her connection with Hetty except maybe Kensi. Will her distinct aversion to G push him away for good or will Callen find that she is a mystery worth solving after all?

Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize here.

Author's Note: I've been on a major NCIS: LA kick lately.

* * *

Mariposa

* * *

Without any evidence linking Kensi directly to the murders she was let go in time to attend the funeral of Charlie's father. The young woman was heartbroken though Kensi managed to convince her to stay at her place for a little while not wanting her best friend to be alone during such a trying time. A knock at the door pulled the grieving woman out of her thoughts. It was G Callen.

Callen placed his foot on the doorstep effectively stopping her from slamming the door in his face. "Kensi is missing. We think she is trying to solve this on her own."

"Well if anyone can, it's Kensi. I haven't seen her since last night though." She admitted stepping back to reluctantly let him inside.

He shut the door behind him and sighed. "I need you to tell me everything you remember about December twentieth and twenty first of ninety seven."

"Our dads went out drinking the night of the twentieth. It was a unit thing. They drank and played poker. After our dads left, I went over to the Blye's house to get Kensi. We saw Titanic at the movies with a few friends. We weren't supposed to be out, but we went anyway." Charlie recalled moving to sit down on the couch.

He nodded his head sitting beside her. "Do you remember anything unusual or out of the ordinary?"

"No. Dad got back a few minutes after I did. He seemed like his normal self. I went over to the Blye's the next day to exchange presents with Kensi. I remember thinking it was weird that her dad's car wasn't there. Other than that, everything was the same as usual until the knock at the door. I had a really bad feeling then and I went with her to the door. My dad was there with..with the cops. They told Kensi... I'll never forget the way she screamed and then cried." Her voice shook at the memory.

Callen reached out placing his hand on her shoulder. "It's alright, Charlie."

"No, it's not alright, Callen! Our fathers were murdered! Kensi stayed with us until after the funeral and then she ran off. I was worried about her, but she always found a way to let me know she was alright. Look, just go, okay? If I think of anything else, I'll let you guys know."

.

 _The taller brunette looked as if she lost ten pounds since the last time she had seen her. She hugged Kensi as if her life depended on it. Her heart broke seeing what had become of her best friend._

 _"Kensi, you can't keep this up." Charlie had sighed running a brush through her friend's long dark hair._

 _Kensi nodded her head knowing she was right. "Remember what we talked about? I got in, Charlie."_

 _"I never doubted you would, Kens. I got in as well. Look, the semester starts in two months. Why don't you just stay with us until then?" She was already making a mental note to stock up on all her friend's favorite foods._

 _It was obvious that she was trying to come up with an excuse until finally she sighed. "Alright, I guess I can do that."_

 _._

"Kensi Marie Blye, what the hell is wrong with you? You can't just disappear like that. What if you needed back up or something?" She snapped looking over at her as they stood in the secluded alleyway that she had agreed to meet with her in.

Kensi shook her head and sighed. "I'm sorry, Charlie. You of all people know how personal this case is for me. I just want it to be over and if doing it alone keeps my team safe then so be it."

"Okay, that is ridiculous. Your team can handle themselves just fine. I..." Charlie trailed off watching in horror as her best friend was shot right in front of her.

Kensi reeled back landing hard on the ground. The sound of Charlie shrieking her name in panic caught her attention. She felt woozy and her chest burned something awful. Charlie checked her over though she couldn't see any blood thanks to the body armor that Kensi was wearing and she was grateful for that fact. The fallen agent could just make out a figure approaching behind her friend and tried to warn her though the words just wouldn't come out. Charlie struggled in her captor's arms for a few moments before falling limp. Kensi slowly got to her feet ignoring the pain as she followed Charlie's kidnapper who was more than likely also the sniper that shot at her. She lost track of them soon after, but it became quite obvious to the tall brunette that she was being followed. It didn't take her long to catch up with the person that was tailing her and knock them out. She took their car and used the GPS system in it to track her tail's movements.

.

 _"You and I both know that it's just not safe, Tomás" The older woman spoke calmly to the clearly upset younger man._

 _Tomás_ _L_ _opez sighed throwing his hands in the air in frustration. "Damn it, Henrietta, she deserves to know the truth."_

 _"Of course she does, but not yet. It's not safe." Hetty assured him only to sigh herself when the girl in question came into view._

 _"What's with all the yelling? Miss Hetty? What are you doing here?" Charlotte yawned rubbing the sleep from her eyes._

 _He sighed kissing his daughter's head softly. "I'm sorry kiddo. We were just having a grown up discussion."_

 _"Dad, I'm eighteen now." A soft laugh fell from her lips._

 _Her father chuckled at that shaking his head. "You know what I mean."_

 _"Actually, your father and I were discussing you. There is something you should know, Charlie." Hetty cleared her throat getting the younger woman's attention._

 _"Oh? Is something wrong?"_

 _"No, nothing of the sort. Charlie, I haven't been in your life all of these years just because I work with the government like your father. I am your biological aunt. On your father's side." Hetty revealed to her gently._

 _._

Charlie sat up slowly rubbing her eyes. Her vision slowly cleared and panic began to set in when memories of what happened came flooding back. She wasn't sure how long she had been out for nor did she know where she was at the moment. All she knew was that it looked like a spare bedroom. Standing up, she took a few shaky steps toward the window and tried to open it to no avail. It was painted shut. Swearing under her breath, the brunette looked around only to freeze when she heard the door open. The man that walked in looked vaguely familiar to her though she couldn't figure out why. He handed her a cold bottle of water and she hesitated before taking it.

"Relax, I don't want to hurt you, Charlotte. You've grown up to be quite a beautiful woman. Your parents must be proud." His hand stroked the side of her face gently.

"Don't. You hurt me the moment you decided to kill my father." She jerked away from his touch smacking him hard in the face with the water bottle.

She ran for the door only for him to grab her. Turning around, Charlie kneed him in the crotch and took off running. She made it down the stairs only stopping when she felt dizzy. It was then that she felt the cold hard metal barrel pressed against the back of her head firmly. Making her face him, he slapped her across the face with his gun sending her crumpling to the floor in a heap. It was the sound of Kensi yelling out his name that made her realize why he was vaguely familiar to her. He was Peter Clairmont and he had been a member of the unit that both their fathers were in. A surge of anger coursed through her, but Kensi got to him first. She could only watch helplessly as the two fought. Gunshots could be heard in the distance, but she barely noticed with her focus solely on the fighting pair in front of her. The team burst into the house just as Kensi left him laying on the ground injured.

Her grief overtook her as she caught Kensi off guard snatching her gun. Flicking the safety off, Charlie stood up pointing the gun right at the man that had killed her father. Her hands shook as she glared at him wanting so desperately to squeeze the trigger. Strong arms wrapped around her pushing the gun down and out of her hands.

Callen let out a breath speaking barely above a whisper. "He's not worth it."

In a flash, Peter pulled out his gun aiming at Kensi. A gunshot was heard startling Charlie. A sigh of relief fell from her lips at the sight of her father's killer slumped over dead. To everyone's shock, it was Assistant Director Owen Granger that had pulled the trigger saving Kensi's life.

.

"I'm happy he's dead. Does that make me a terrible person?" Her hands still shook a bit as she cradled a cup of chamomile tea.

His lips quirked upward into a slight smile. "No. It makes you human."

"I didn't tell you guys the whole truth. When my dad said he had something to tell me, he sounded scared like he was afraid of how I'd react." Charlie confessed taking a sip of her tea.

Callen stared at her for a moment before speaking softly. "And you have no idea what it could have been?"

"No, not at all. It's not the first time he's kept something from me though." Her shoulders shrugged as she sipped at her tea.

His eyebrows raised at that. "What else did he keep from you?"

"Charlotte, I think it would be a good idea if you met with Nate especially after all you've been through lately." The older woman spoke up startling both Charlie and Callen.

"But he's only supposed to talk to the NCIS agents, Hetty." She sipped at her tea looking utterly confused.

"He also speaks with the support staff which you now are. He's expecting you tomorrow morning." Hetty informed them raising her eyebrow when her niece nearly choked on her tea.

"What? And what exactly will I be doing? Hetty, I could have just gone to any therapist, you know." Charlie sighed setting the tea cup down.

"Yes, but I don't trust just anyone with your mind, sweetheart. Nate's one of the best. Don't worry about the job for now. We'll talk about it tomorrow. Now go get some rest." She pressed a kiss to the younger woman's head before heading back toward her office. "Agent Callen, be a dear and please make sure she gets home safely."

G nodded his head looking toward the woman in question. "We'll go whenever you're ready."

"You really don't have to. I'm sure I can catch a ride with Marty or Nell." The brunette waved him off as she stood up relieved that she had stopped shaking by now.

Callen smiled slightly as he grabbed his keys. "I know, but I want to. Besides, Hetty will have my head if I don't."

"Touche'. I'm still staying with Kensi so just drop me off at hers. Thanks."

.

Deeks was heading home by then though he had decided to stop at Kensi's place to check on her real quick. To his surprise, the tall brunette was walking up to her building just as he stopped his car. She smiled softly when she recognized his familiar blonde floppy hair.

"Hey, I..uh.. just wanted to see how you were holding up." He waved at her awkwardly and leaned back against his car.

Kensi nodded her head biting her lip slightly. "I'm doing okay. Better than expected actually."

"That's great." He flashed his boyish grin at her stepping forward to hug her.

To her surprise, she didn't push him away instead opting to melt into his embrace. "Thank you, Marty."

"You're welcome, Fern."

He pressed a kiss into her hair before pulling back to look at her. Their eyes locked as they brushed their noses against each other. Just as he was about to lean in, the sound of a car pulling up caused them to break apart. It was Callen and to Kensi's brief amusement, Charlie was fast asleep in the passenger seat. He shot them a curious look as he got out of the car before pulling Kensi into a comforting hug. She returned the hug whispering her thanks before turning her attention to her best friend. She was tossing and turning in her sleep. Deeks attempted to wake her only to get hit in the face by her hand. Kensi giggled softly as she tended to him. Callen moved to the sleeping woman's side gently wrapping his arms around her. He whispered into her ear that she was safe and she calmed down in his arms. To his surprise as he picked her up to bring her inside, Charlie began talking in her sleep. He couldn't understand what she was saying at first until she turned her head and her words became a bit louder.

"So she's talking in her sleep... in another language?" Marty spoke up a bit too loud causing her to stir.

Callen nodded his head setting her down in the guest room. "It's Romanian."

"She knows Romanian?"

Kensi raised her eyebrows glancing over at her sleeping friend. "No, she doesn't. Charlie was raised speaking both English and Spanish. She took French in high school and Italian in college. I don't think she's even been to Romania."

"Well what is she saying?" He piped up curiously.

Callen listened carefully while she continued to speak. "She's talking to her dad."

With that said, Kensi ushered them out of the room. "That's enough. Let her rest."

"Fluture." Charlie breathed out turning over in her bed pulling the covers over herself.

It was that word which made Callen stand up a little bit straighter while Kensi shut the door behind them. "Butterfly."


	3. Chapter 3

Title: Mariposa

Summary: She is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma. Okay, maybe not quite, but close enough. She's been best friends with Kensi Blye since they were ten years old. No one understands her connection with Hetty except maybe Kensi. Will her distinct aversion to G push him away for good or will Callen find that she is a mystery worth solving after all?

Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize here.

Author's Note: I'm so sorry that this has taken so long. Things have been crazy and writer's block sucks. I'm so grateful for all of you who have favorited this story, followed it, and followed me. I've actually had this chapter finished for a while now, but I wasn't completely pleased with it. I wound up rewriting the last half not wanting the OC to sound too mary sueish.

* * *

Mariposa

* * *

Charlie was up bright and early the next morning which was sort of surprising considering she was most definitely not a morning person. She wasn't looking forward to her therapy session that day. When she walked out of her room ready to go, she came face to face with Kensi, Marty, and Callen. They all looked at each other and then at her. It made her feel uneasy and she was about to comment on it when Callen greeted her in Romanian. Her body stiffened as she walked past them.

"I don't speak Romanian." was all she said as she grabbed her purse.

Callen snorted lifting the mug of coffee in front of him to his lips. "Then how did you know I was speaking it?"

"I..damn it. Fine. I speak Romanian. Happy?"

Kensi sighed eyeing her best friend curiously. "Why am I only finding this out now?"

"Because it was a secret. Sort of. My aunt taught me it when I was a kid. It was our own secret little language. I thought it was cool." Charlie admitted conveniently leaving out the fact that the aunt in question was Hetty.

"Why Romanian though?" Marty piped up between bites of food as he finished his breakfast.

"My aunt was half Romanian and my parents didn't know the language. I thought it was cool to know something they didn't. Oh shoot, hey Marty? Can you please take me in to OSP so I can get this stupid session over with?" She explained as she noticed the time.

"Wait, how is your aunt half Romanian and your parents not knowing of the language?" The blonde asked confused as he stood up.

"Aunt by marriage, silly. She was married to my uncle."

.

 _She was very perceptive for an eleven year old girl. At least that's how Hetty had taught Charlie to be. So when she noticed the unassuming black car parked across from her house, across from her school, and then across from her house again, it sent warning bells through her mind. She knew the dangers of kids being lured into strangers cars. The men that got out of the car looked like bodyguards. The young brunette rushed into her house shutting the door and locking it quickly. Her parents weren't due home for another hour or so. Charlie ran to the phone trembling as she dialed the all too familiar number sighing in relief when she heard Hetty's voice on the other line._

 _"H..Hetty, It's me. There's a car across the street. It was across from school today too. These bodyguard looking guys just got out of it and.." Her words were cut off by the sound of shattering glass followed by her shrieking in fright._

 _"I'm on my way. Charlotte, listen to me and do as I say. Go to the safe room. They won't hurt you in there."_

 _A mix of voices could be heard all speaking a familiar language as they tried to make their way into the house. She slipped that bit of information to the older woman before hanging up and then she took off running. Even to the most expertly trained eyes, it wasn't easy to spot the entrance to the panic room within her house. Her parents and Hetty had always referred to it as the safe room so as to not freak her out. A sigh of relief fell from her lips as the door sealed shut behind her. She was trembling too much to even bother looking at the screens. What felt like hours, but was really only minutes passed by agonizingly slow for her. She was terrified. Her face was damp from crying, but it was Hetty's voice that calmed her. It was safe to come out now. She pressed a button for the door to open and crawled out of the room into the closet. The door shut behind her and she crawled out of the closet only to find her parents waiting for her along with Hetty. Charlie dove into her parents' arms hugging them tightly as a fresh set of tears sprung from her eyes. It was only when she hugged Hetty that the older woman assured her that those people would never bother her again._

 _It was only a few days later that they left Washington DC and arrived in California under the guise of her father getting promoted to a new unit in the military. She was bummed out at the idea of leaving her friends and her childhood home behind. As her parents finished moving everything into their new house, Charlie hung around on the front porch getting a look at her new neighborhood. It was then that an older man approached the house with a girl about her age. She was skeptical until a few moments later when her father introduced him as Donald Blye, a member of his new unit. The lanky somewhat tall brunette beside him was his daughter._

 _The girls were quiet around each other until the taller of the two walked over and smiled. "Hi, I'm Kensi."_

 _"Hi. Charlotte, but everyone calls me Charlie."_

 _._

"How did it go?"

Nate looked up as the older woman entered his office and sighed handing her a file. "Charlotte is going to be fine, given some time. I'd like to have a few more sessions with her just to help her through."

"That's fine. Do you think the job would be too much on her?" Hetty questioned holding the file to her chest.

He thought it over for a moment and then shook his head. "I think keeping her busy would be a good thing for her right now."

.

"So what exactly is it that you're going to be doing around here again?" Deeks questioned as he sat on the corner of Kensi's desk looking at the brunette currently sitting in Kensi's chair.

"Well I'll be helping Nell and Eric. With Nell going out in the field more, Hetty doesn't want to stretch her too thin." Charlie shrugged glancing up at the shaggy haired blonde.

Callen snorted as he took a sip of his coffee. "Are you even qualified for that?"

"You'd be surprised at what I can do with a computer. But for now, Hetty wants me to organize a few things around here."

"Like what?" Deeks raised his eyebrow at her curiously.

"Oh the wardrobe mostly. It's less organizing and more just cataloging what's already there. See what needs to be replaced or sewn up. Stuff like that." She explained nonchalantly as she stood up.

"You sure you can handle that on your own?"

"Nothing I haven't done before. Don't worry, Marty." The brunette flashed him a smile before walking away.

.

 _The little bell above the door chimed signifying that someone had entered the store. Charlotte stepped out of the backroom only to light up at the sight of her aunt. She called out her name as she rushed over and gave the older woman a hug. It had already been a few weeks since they had last seen each other. She could sense how tense her aunt was though it was becoming more apparent that she was trying not to show it. Though it did catch her by surprise when Hetty led her into the backroom._

 _"Charlotte Grace, I just wanted to tell you that I am so proud of you. You have grown up to be such a beautiful intelligent young woman." Hetty cupped the younger girl's face for a moment before letting go._

 _"Thank you. What's going on?" Confusion shone clearly in her eyes._

 _"There is something I have to go do. There is so much that you don't know and I am so sorry that I have never told you. I just want you to know that I did what I did to keep you safe and I truly hope you forgive me someday." She sighed softly looking at her._

 _"Hetty, what are you talking about? What didn't you tell me?"_

 _"Mariposa, there is no time. Just be safe. Under no circumstances do you come looking for me. Promise me that." Hetty looked at her sternly._

 _"I promise. What is going on? Why does this feel like you're saying goodbye?" Charlie questioned watching as her aunt simply walked away._

 _She had kept her promise at first until she was alerted on her computer that someone was looking into Hetty's file. Her heart had lurched as she looked into the file itself and saw that her aunt was declared missing. She knew full well that her prior conversation with the older woman couldn't have been a coincidence. Tracking down Henrietta Lange was never an easy feat. Of course it helped when you were practically trained by the woman herself which Charlie pretty much was so it didn't take long for her to start digging around. It was the result that surprised her the most._

 _Romania._

 _Hetty had gone to Romania._

 _Was there a connection between that and Hetty teaching her Romanian when she was young? It could have been a coincidence, but it was even more reason to follow her there._

 _._

"What's on your mind, G Callen?"

He sighed sitting down in the chair that was in front of her desk. "Something's been bugging me about you. When I went to your house and met Charlie for the first time, you addressed her with her full name yet you told me that she is a dear friend of Kensi. Why do I feel like there is more you aren't telling me?"

"I was telling the truth when I said she is a dear friend of our Miss Blye." Hetty leaned forward a bit looking at him.

Callen narrowed his blue eyes at the older woman. "She speaks Romanian. Are you sure she's not..."

"G, Charlotte is not related to you or involved with your family in any way. I assure you."

Before he could respond, her phone rang and she ushered him out of her office. The girl in question was across the room seemingly caught up in a disagreement with the shaggy blonde haired agent.

"Well now you're just being ridiculous. I was asleep therefore I had no control over my movements. I'm sorry I hit you, but I don't owe you for it." The brunette gave him a look clearly oblivious to the fact that Callen was watching them.

"Okay I probably shouldn't have worded it that way. Look, I'm just asking for one favor. Please."

"Fine, but only because I want to see Kens happy. Hurt her and not even Hetty will be able to find all of you." She warned though flashed him a smile a second after.

"Thank you. You're the best. I won't hurt her, I promise." Marty gulped before giving her a hug.

.

After bidding Hetty a good night, Charlotte walked out of OSP completely unfazed by Callen's sudden appearance beside her. They made small talk as they strolled over toward his car. The sound of him clearing his throat caught her attention and she glanced up at him.

He rubbed the back of his neck slightly, "What's the deal with you and Marty?"

"Oh that? I agreed to talk to Kensi for him. They like each other and don't even realize it." A soft laugh fell from her lips.

Callen chuckled lightly holding the car door open for her. "It's against the work rules, you know."

"Some rules were made to be broken. Besides, Hetty, Sam, Nell, Eric, and I have a running bet on when they'll finally go out." She smirked moving past him to get into the car.

He shook his head shutting the door once she was safely in and moving around to get into the car himself. It was only when they reached Kensi's home that their conversation grew serious again.

"What?"

Callen sighed, "It's just.. I never asked Hetty to go to Romania to protect me. I hope you know that."

"I do. I think. It's just how Hetty operates. Always trying to protect the ones she cares about. Still makes me angry though. Goodnight, Callen."

.

 _The brunette scoffed as she looked over at the older woman who was standing across from her. "This isn't about your precious Callen, Hetty. Not this time, at least. Where is she?"_

 _"I don't know what you're talking about, but I suggest you put that gun down before someone gets hurt."_

 _She huffed shooting at her feet making the other woman jump back. "Don't play games with me, Henrietta. Where is she? Where is my niece?"_

 _"Somewhere safe where you and your wretched family will never find her." Hetty quipped appearing calm as she stared the other woman down._

 _Cocking the gun, she aimed it at the older woman's head. "My sister is dead because of you. When we weren't trying to destroy your precious Callen, we were searching everywhere for her baby. It's been over two decades. Give her up, Henrietta."_

 _"Your sister is dead because your family couldn't handle that she wanted a life outside of the family business. She begged me to keep her baby safe from you lot."_

 _Her finger hovered in front of the trigger. "It was one thing when our cousin decided to run off. But my sister? With that American? No. Nuh uh. We were going to kill him and make it look like a tragic accident. But then she had to get pregnant. We may not have approved of the father, but that baby was the next generation of our family. Mama was so overjoyed at the idea of being a grandparent. But you... you stole everything from us, Henrietta. She died of a broken heart after my sister died and that baby couldn't be found. It's all your faul..."_

 _A gunshot rang out cutting the woman's words short. Her cherry red painted lips fell open as she gasped in shock. A crimson stain grew on her pale blue blouse. Her finger pressed the trigger and another gunshot rang out. She collapsed a moment later. Hetty fell back onto the ground pressing her hand against her wound. Though it felt like an eternity, it was only a few short minutes later that the team came running in with guns drawn. Callen immediately going to Hetty's side and barking out instructions to the rest of the team._

 _The other woman grew pale gasping for breath as Sam looked over her. "Where..."_

 _Before he could answer, the paramedics came rushing in tending to both women. It was only after the team arrived at the hospital that they learned the woman who had shot Hetty had died en route to the hospital._


	4. Chapter 4

Title: Mariposa

Summary: She is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma. Okay, maybe not quite, but close enough. She's been best friends with Kensi Blye since they were ten years old. No one understands her connection with Hetty except maybe Kensi. Will her distinct aversion to G push him away for good or will Callen find that she is a mystery worth solving after all?

Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize here.

Author's Note: I'm so sorry that this has taken so long. Things have been crazy and writer's block sucks. I'm so grateful for all of you who have favorited this story, followed it, and followed me. I've actually had this chapter finished for a while now, but I wasn't completely pleased with it. I wound up rewriting the last half not wanting the OC to sound too mary sueish.

* * *

Mariposa

* * *

"I don't know, Callen. I don't feel comfortable invading her privacy like this. Not to mention, I'd rather not feel the wrath of Hetty." Nell frowned fingers hovering over the keyboard at her workstation.

Callen glanced around before shaking his head. "Then think of it as part of a case. Don't worry about Hetty. I'll take all the heat if she gets mad."

"Fine, but you owe me one." Her fingers flew over the keys typing in the name watching as the image on the screen took shape into that of an all too familiar face.

His light blue eyes took in the sight of the image on the monitor. "Are you sure this is accurate?"

"It's fairly accurate. Yes. So why does Hetty have this photo?"

He was stoic as he stared at the screen. "Something isn't adding up. Look, thanks Nell. Just keep this between us for now, alright?"

Before Nell could question him further, he took the printout from the nearby printer and walked away.

.

 _Charlie didn't have too many family members around while she was growing up. Her maternal grandfather had passed away before she was born though her maternal grandmother doted on her when she could. Her paternal grandparents had retired to Puerto Rico though they visited when they were able. As far as she knew, neither of her parents had siblings. Although that all seemed to change that fateful day that Hetty had told eighteen year old Charlie that she was her paternal aunt. It made no sense to her though. Hetty wasn't Hispanic like her father's side of the family. That mere fact had escaped Charlie in the face of the shocking yet joyous news that she was related to Henrietta Lange. So she was completely oblivious until almost three years later when twenty one year old Charlie was looking through old family photos wanting to put together an anniversary present for her parents._

 _A photo from a military ball dated two weeks before she was born caught her by surprise. Mostly because her mother wasn't showing at all and was clearly holding a glass of wine. It made no sense to her. She walked into the sun room where her mother was having tea with Hetty and slammed the photo down on the table between them. Her mother gasped while Hetty sighed sitting up a bit straighter._

 _"I suppose it's time she knew the truth. Don't you agree, Maria?" The older woman looked over at Charlie's mother who was holding the picture._

 _Maria composed herself nodding her head in agreement. "Yes."_

 _"Truth? What truth? What's going on?" She sat down looking more upset by the second._

 _The older brunette grasped her daughter's hand and sighed. "Your father and I... we had difficulty conceiving. We tried almost everything and were saving up money to give In Vitro a try. Henrietta heard about our plight and sat down with us. She asked if we would be interested in trying adoption. Your father and I talked it over. We agreed to at least meet with the parents."_

 _"My younger brother and his girlfriend had unexpectedly found themselves to be having a baby. They were both in the military and neither were quite ready to have children yet. They didn't have the heart to abort and felt as if adoption was their best choice." Hetty had interjected before gesturing for Charlie's mother to continue._

 _Maria gave her daughter's hand a squeeze and smiled softly. "We fell in love with you the moment we saw your precious little face. So we adopted you and the rest is history."_

 _"Why didn't you just tell me that? I would have been okay. Not that I don't appreciate Hetty, but why aren't my biological parents involved in my life too?" Charlie sighed as her features softened toward her mother._

 _"Everyone needed time to adjust at first. They were newlyweds dealing with giving up their first born. I kept them up to date though. Tragically, they both died in combat. You're all I have left of him, really." Her lies were so smooth that it was impossible to see them as anything but the truth._

 _She hugged her daughter comfortingly. "We were going to tell you. The three of us agreed that we wanted to wait until you were mature enough to handle it. Then you grew up before our very eyes and we were trying to figure out how best to tell you."_

 _._

He studied her as she moved around the interior of the Office of Special Projects. A deep chuckle interrupted his thoughts causing him to raise his eyebrow at his best friend and partner Sam Hanna who was standing beside him sipping from a cup of coffee. Sam shook his head dimples clearly showing as he glanced from his friend to the woman in question and back.

"G, you've been staring at her since she walked in. If I didn't know any better, I'd think you liked her." He teased chuckling softly at him.

Callen rolled his blue eyes lightly at him. "We're not in high school, Sam."

"Alright, talk me through it then. What's going on in that head of yours?"

He sighed watching as she disappeared into Hetty's office. "Something just isn't adding up about her."

"She's legit, G. Kensi and Hetty both trust her. You know Hetty doesn't trust anyone lightly." He shrugged taking another sip of his coffee.

It was silent between them for a moment until he uttered one word. "Mariposa."

"Wait what? You don't think... Charlie? Really? Now this I got to hear."

.

"Kens, I'm not saying marry the guy. Just one date. If you guys aren't feeling it by the end of the night, no harm done. You can still be friends." Charlie assured her taking a sip of her peach iced tea as they leaned against the taller woman's car.

The hazel eyed brunette shook her head smiling softly at her best friend. "You make it sound so easy. I don't know. He's a good friend. I don't want to lose him or make work awkward."

"Well then talk it out with him. I'm sure he feels the same way."

She nodded laughing slightly at her. "Enough about me. I still can't believe you never told me that Hetty was your aunt. Although that does explain your unexpected fluency in Romanian."

"Hey, in my defense, I had no idea she was your boss. It is what it is, you know? I just don't talk about it. I'd rather your coworkers like me for me and not walk on eggshells around me just because I happen to be related to the boss." Charlie pointed out with a light shrug of her shoulders.

Kensi tossed her empty cup in a nearby trashcan and smiled. "Makes sense. So what's going on with you and Callen? He was totally watching you earlier."

"Uh, nothing? I think he's just trying to figure me out. It's kind of amusing actually."

.

 _It was a smooth flight back to the States from Romania for Hetty. She was transferred to a local medical facility in Los Angeles where she was tended to by her own doctors. Charlie visited her though staying out of sight of any visiting members of the team. When Hetty was cleared by her doctors to return home, it was Charlie that drove her. It was her second night back home and a Friday when she got her first visit from a member of the team. It was Kensi. While they sat and had tea, Charlie was off at the grocery store stocking up for the week and acquiring a few requested items for Hetty. She returned to the house calling out to her aunt that she was back and put the groceries away. It was only when she turned around to go check on Hetty that she came face to face with a very confused Kensi Blye._

 _"Kensi?"_

 _"Charlie?"_

 _They said each other's name simultaneously before greeting each other with a hug._

 _Kensi was the first to pull back still looking confused. "She said her niece was off getting some groceries. Wait, you're her niece?!"_

 _"Surprise?"_

 _The pair were then joined by Hetty though the taller brunette was still confused. "But I've known you since we were in our early teens. I never saw her at your house and you never mentioned her."_

 _"Safety precautions, my dear. My job could be quite dangerous at times and I didn't want her getting dragged into any mess." Hetty spoke up looking at the two of them._

 _"I'll explain everything. Just don't go blabbing to the rest of your coworkers." Charlie glanced at Hetty as if to get her blessing._

 _"Go ahead, dear. It's about time for my medicine and I think I might lay down for a bit. Thank you again for stopping by, Kensi."_

 _._

"We need to talk."

She was leaning against the railing of the boardwalk watching the waves roll in onto the shoreline of the beach. He was the last person she expected to run into there. Charlie gave him a look before returning her attention to the water.

"I have nothing to say."

Callen set the printout of the photo and the age progressed photo side by side. "Then listen. You're the little girl in this photo, aren't you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about. Why does it matter so much to you?" Charlie gazed down at the printout before casting a glance in his direction.

He sighed rubbing at the back of his neck. "Because Hetty was shot and then I see this mystery woman walk out of her hospital room in Romania. Because the first thing Hetty said when I walked into her room was mariposa and look at that, you're wearing a butterfly necklace."

"A lot of girls wear butterfly necklaces, Agent Callen."

His hand reached out gently pulling the silver chain that rested around her neck into view exposing the small silver butterfly dangling at the end. "You're still wearing yours."

"Fine. Yes. That is a picture of me from my fifth birthday party. I was at the peak of my obsession with butterflies phase. The necklace was Hetty's gift to me that year." She admitted with a sigh.

Callen eyed her curiously for a moment. "You're Mariposa. This whole time... it was you."

"Look, I get that you were worried that she was still in danger, but I would never hurt her. Truth is, I'm her niece."

He glanced around before looking at her clearly stunned. "How did you know she was in Romania?"

"Because she said goodbye to me before she left and I figured it out. I know I shouldn't have gone, but I just had to see her again. Hetty's a great actress, but she couldn't mask the fear in her eyes when she realized that I was there in Romania." Charlie shook her head glancing out at the water again.

Callen sighed watching her still curious as ever. "Why do I feel like there's more you're not telling me?"

"Alright, I'll tell you what, just this once I'll be nice. Let's go get some food and I'll tell you whatever you want to know. One time only offer."

.

Kensi watched him fidget and couldn't help laughing softly. "Alright, fine. I'll go on a date with you. Just promise that if it doesn't go well, things won't get awkward between us."

"Really? Thank you. Yes, no, I mean, of course things wouldn't get awkward between us. We're Kensi and Deeks. Things could never be that awkward between us, Fern." Marty rambled slightly and flashed her a boyish smile.

She gave him a look then shook her head smiling softly at him. "Okay. Friday night at seven then. I mean, as long as a case doesn't get in the way."

"That's..that's perfect." He shoved his hands in his pockets subconsciously.

The tall brunette leaned in pressing a soft kiss to his cheek. "I'll see you tomorrow. Goodnight, Marty."

"Night, Fern."

.

 _The middle aged woman sighed gripping a tissue within her grasp. She stopped pacing around the sun room of the house she shared with her now late husband and sat down staring out into the backyard. A hand set down gently on her shoulder startling her until she realized a moment later that it was just Hetty. The older woman sat down beside her giving the grieving brunette an apologetic look._

 _Maria was stoic as she dabbed at her brown eyes with the tissue. "He was on his way to tell her when he died. You don't think..."_

 _"No, no, this was all an act of one highly disturbed individual. It had nothing to do with Charlotte." Hetty assured her comfortingly._

 _The raven haired woman nodded her head and sighed. "Henrietta, if you don't tell her, I will. I mean it. The truth. Everything. She deserves to know."_

 _"You know that we only ever kept this from her for her own safety. But you're right, Maria. Now that it's safe, I do believe that it is time to tell her the truth."_

 _._

The house was silent except for the sound of a soft giggle falling from her lips. Taking the last sip from her bottle of beer, Charlie stood up walking into the kitchen placing the empty bottle into the recycle bin. She wrapped up the leftover food placing it into the fridge. Callen entered the kitchen behind her putting his empty bottle in the bin and watched her.

"What? You're always watching. It's creepy."

He chuckled slightly though remaining mostly stoic. "I'm just observant."

"Sure you are. Alright, well I've answered your questions. So now I think you should answer one of mine." She leaned against the counter looking at him.

Callen eyed her curiously and nodded his head. "And what's that?"

"What.. or should I say who...was in Romania that was worth Hetty risking her life to protect you from?"

He sighed rubbing the back of his neck. "That..is a bit of a long story. The Comescu family were a family in organized crime based out of Romania. They've had it out for my family since my grandfather assassinated five members of their family. He was an agent like me."

"Oh. Are you still in danger?" Her features softened a little as she tilted her head slightly.

G Callen shrugged his shoulders at her. "Most of the family is dead. Hetty killed the head of the family in Romania. There's two surviving members. The female wants nothing to do with the organized crime part of the family. It's the male I'd be in danger from, but I can handle it."

"What if he comes after Hetty?"

He shook his head reaching out to rub her arms lightly. "Hetty's safe. The team and I would never let anything happen to her."

"Except you did. She still got shot."

Callen narrowed his blue eyes at her slightly. "We searched everywhere for her and did everything possible to find her before she got hurt."

Their noses were practically touching and her breath caught in her throat for a moment.

"Callen..."

Her gaze lowered to his lips before quickly glancing back up into his eyes. He closed the distance between them pressing his lips to hers. She was still for a moment before snapping out of her daze and returning the kiss.

"This is so beyond wrong." She mumbled against his lips.

He chuckled softly pulling her closer to him. "And yet you're still kissing me."

"Never said I made wise decisions."


	5. Chapter 5

Title: Mariposa

Summary: She is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma. Okay, maybe not quite, but close enough. She's been best friends with Kensi Blye since they were ten years old. No one understands her connection with Hetty except maybe Kensi. Will her distinct aversion to G push him away for good or will Callen find that she is a mystery worth solving after all?

Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize here.

Author's Note:

* * *

Mariposa

* * *

It was silent the next morning as the brunette quietly shut the front door behind her and crept her way back into her room. After a hot shower and a change of clothes, Charlie walked out into the kitchen only to be met by a smirking Kensi. She rolled her eyes playfully at her best friend and made herself some breakfast. They made small talk as the shorter of the two tried to avoid the obvious.

Kensi, however, wasn't about to let it go that easily. "So you weren't here last night."

"Uh, yeah, stayed at Hetty's."

The taller brunette smirked gesturing toward her. "That hickey on your neck says otherwise."

"What? Damn it, Callen." Her hand instinctively flew up to cover her neck as she muttered the last part under her breath.

Kensi laughed shaking her head at her friend. "I'm kidding. There's no hickey, but I knew something happened. Spill it."

"Ooh you play dirty, Blye. Ugh fine. I may have slept with Callen."

Her hazel eyes widened in shock at the admission. "I knew there was something going on between the two of you."

"There's nothing going on between us, Kens. It was just sex." She sighed cleaning up after herself.

Kensi smirked finishing her coffee. "Uh huh. How was it?"

"It was incredible."

.

 _The fact that Callen didn't sleep much was a bit unnerving to her, but she simply chalked it up as a result of his job. She mentally kicked herself for letting her guard down so much. Not that she regretted what they did. It was great. She just never meant to let things get that far. Sighing, Charlie waited until she heard the shower running that morning to slip her clothes back on and quickly yet quietly made her way out of his house. She wasn't completely rude though. The brunette left him a note just so he didn't think she had been kidnapped or something._

 _It was when she neared Kensi's place that a text from Hetty appeared on her phone. She wasn't too concerned with it and knew full well that she could just talk to Hetty once she got into the office later that morning._

 _._

The sight of her mother sitting in Hetty's office caught the younger brunette off guard as she walked in and she couldn't help wondering if it was related to Hetty's earlier text. Her breath caught in her throat for a moment as she made eye contact with Callen. Before either could say a word, Charlie turned away walking into the older woman's office. She greeted them both and then sat down beside her mother eyeing them both curiously.

Maria sighed taking her daughter's hand within her own. "Sweetheart, there's something we need to discuss with you. Remember when we sat you down and told you the truth about how you came to be adopted by your father and I? Well, it wasn't exactly the whole truth."

"Yes, I remember. Wait, what? What are you talking about?"

"Before you were conceived, my team was running an undercover recon mission on the Comescu crime family. The leader at the time had a wife, a twenty six year old son, a twenty one year old daughter, and fifteen year old twins, a boy and a girl. The eldest son was following in his father's footsteps until he was killed along with his father in an assassination. The wife took over and the eldest daughter was poised to follow in her footsteps." Hetty began while folding her hands in front of her.

Charlie listened though clearly appearing confused.

"The youngest member of my team was about the same age as the eldest daughter. His name was Daniel. When it became apparent that the eldest daughter, Sofia, wanted nothing to do with the family business, we used Daniel to get close to her. We never anticipated that they would fall in love. He escorted her back to the States and she was willing to help us build our case against her family. Then she discovered that she was pregnant. She and Daniel married in a small private ceremony. " She continued sighing softly.

Maria squeezed her daughter's hand reassuringly. "The Comescu family managed to get into the States as well and took Sofia. Hetty and her team found her just as she was about to give birth to a healthy baby girl. You."

"Me? But that means.."

"Sofia died shortly after or at least that is what her family has always believed. I stayed close to you throughout your life because I made a promise that I would always protect you." Hetty admitted letting the information sink in for the younger woman.

"Wait, so not only am I a Comescu, but you're saying that my biological mother is still alive?" Her face displayed a look of clear confusion and pure shock.

The older brunette sighed looking at her daughter. "I knew this day would come. Sweetheart, I am your biological mother. I'm Sofia Comescu."

.

It was only seconds later that an emotional Charlie burst out of Hetty's office catching the attention of everyone nearby. Kensi instinctively followed her best friend with Marty in tow while Callen made his way into Hetty's office. The pair followed her outside only for Charlie to instinctively bury herself in Kensi's arms crying. The taller brunette wrapped her arms around her best friend comforting her the best that she could. Once she finally calmed down, she gave them a brief explanation as to why she was so upset. To say they were shocked was an understatement.

"I think I'm going to leave. For a little while, anyway. I don't even know who I am anymore." She sighed running her fingers through her hair.

Kensi shook her head smiling softly at her. "You're my best friend. You're still the same person you've always been, Charlie. This doesn't change that at all."

"If you need a break to sort this out, it's understandable. Just keep in touch, okay?" Marty added making her smile a little bit.

.

 _The plan wasn't smooth, by any means, but it was efficient. In a darkened alley a few miles north of the OSP, he was handed a file with the information he needed. He looked it over and nodded his head pleased with the contents. With the deal done, his informant turned around walking away. The man didn't hesitate to pull out his gun and shoot the informant in the back of the head. He watched the body crumple to the ground lifeless. Taking out his burner phone, Dracul dialed 911 as he stood over the dead body._

 _"I just heard a gunshot. Oh god, there's a body in the alley. I think they were shot."_

 _The 911 operator was calm as his location came up on the computer. "Okay sir, calm down. What's your name? Are you safe?"_

 _He was silent as the phone fell from his hand landing on the body._

 _._

Charlie was back at Kensi's place packing her things when she heard the knock at the front door. She almost ignored it, but instead she opened the door only to see Callen standing there. The brunette froze unsure of why he was there. She bit her lip stepping aside to let him in.

"What are you doing here?"

Callen sighed turning to look at her. "I know. Hetty told me after you ran off."

"Oh. Well did you come here to tell me that you hate me now? Because I would completely understand if..." She was cut off when his lips met hers.

They kissed for a moment and then he pulled back. "You're not your family, Charlie."

"Don't do that, Callen. It was just..sex. Look, I have to finish packing."

He sighed watching her. "You can't just run away."

"I'm not running away! I'm trying to figure out who I am." Charlie admitted looking at him.

Callen pulled her to him tilting his head slightly. "Yeah, I know the feeling."

Before she could stop herself, they were kissing again.

.

Their clothes were spread out around the room. She was still laying in her bed with just the sheet covering her bare body as he walked out of the bathroom with just a towel hung around his hips. Charlie watched as he got dressed and grabbed his phone off the nightstand when it rang.

"Hello?"

"Charlie? Sorry, I thought I called Callen's phone." Sam sounded confused when he heard the familiar voice answer.

"Uh, you did. Sorry, Sam. Here he is now." She handed the cell phone over shooting him an apologetic look.

Callen shook his head smiling slightly at her as he pressed the phone to his ear. "What's up, Sam?"

"G, why is Charlie answering your pho... Oh snap. I knew you had a thing for her."

He rolled his eyes lightly while he tied his shoes. "Shut up. Why are you calling?"

"Fine, but only because it's important. We got a case and this one might interest you. Dead body in an alley. It has Dracul's signature all over it." His tone grew serious as he approached the crime scene.

Callen stood up straighter casting a concerned glance in the brunette's direction. "Text me the address. I'll be there in a few minutes."

.

Against everyone's wishes, Charlie stayed in town a few more days. That was all it surprisingly took for Dracul to be caught and brought in. He was sitting handcuffed in one of the interrogation rooms. She knew she wasn't supposed to be there, but she couldn't resist. The brunette stepped into the room cautiously watching him as she walked in front of the table with her back to the mirror.

"So they send in a pretty female agent to question me, huh?" He chuckled softly watching her as well.

"No, I'm not an agent actually. You're related to Sofia Comescu, correct?"

"Yes. Sofia was my eldest sister. Why do you ask about her?" Dracul visibly stiffened at the mention of his believed to be late sister.

"I'm her daughter." Charlie spoke stoically watching as a look of recognition appeared in his eyes and an audible gasp fell from her lips.

"Well I'll be damned. I haven't seen you since you were a newborn. Look at you. I should have known. You look so much like mama." He reached out to touch her only for the door to slam open.

Callen pulled her away from the table and glared at the man. "That's enough, Dracul."

"Watch how you're handling my niece, Agent."

He ignored him and escorted her out of the room.

"Until we meet again, darling." His words sent a chill down her spine.

Callen took her outside the building and sighed. "What were you thinking? Dracul is incredibly dangerous."

"He's my uncle. Yes, I know it was stupid, but I just had to see him for myself." She huffed folding her arms across her chest.

He shook his head. "So you have one of us go in with you. You don't just walk in there by yourself."

Before she could respond, an alarm went off. He swore under his breath and pulled his gun out. Nodding to one of the officers nearby, he pushed her toward him.

"Just get her out of here. Safely." Was all he said before he headed back inside the building.

 _._

The handcuffs laid open on the interrogation room table and Dracul was nowhere to be found. Callen swore under his breath and continued searching the building. It was cleared soon after along with the surrounding area. He was nowhere to be found. Hetty and Sofia were moved to a safe house against the older woman's wishes.

"She's somewhere safe. That's all Kensi would say." Marty sighed running his fingers through his shaggy hair.

Callen shook his head looking around. "That's not good enough. We need to find him."

"He wouldn't hurt his own niece, would he?"

The senior agent sighed. "I don't know, but I'm not about to take that chance. He'd use her to get to Hetty though. She killed his twin sister."

"I'll check the tapes. See if I can track his movement. Nell and Eric should have them ready by now."

He nodded only to feel a hand clasp down on his shoulder. "Hey Sam."

"Hey G. I think we found the connection between the victim and Dracul. Money wired into the victim's bank account from an offshore account. Twenty grand in total. Retired cop. Worked security here." He handed the files to Callen.

Callen looked them over before smacking the files with his hand. "That's how he escaped so easily. And why it was so easy to catch him in the first place. But why?"

"Shooting the victim was probably a two for one deal for him. He got rid of a loose end and it alerted us that he was in the area. The obvious answer would be he was hoping Hetty would show up to interrogate him, but he's not stupid enough to try to kill her while we were here too." He was handed a paper from another agent and looked it over.

He knew by the look on Sam's face that he wasn't going to like it. "What is it?"

"Message from Nell. Victim was on security detail at OSP the night he died. There's footage of him going into Nate's office and then walking out a few minutes later with a file. No one knew because Nate was in D.C. helping with a case. He just got back today and noticed his files were messed up. The one that the victim took... the picture fell out of it. So he and Dracul couldn't have known what the person the file belonged to looked like." Sam sighed looking at him.

Callen listened straightening up a bit more. "Which file did he take?"

"Charlie's."


	6. Chapter 6

Title: Mariposa

Summary: She is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma. Okay, maybe not quite, but close enough. She's been best friends with Kensi Blye since they were ten years old. No one understands her connection with Hetty except maybe Kensi. Will her distinct aversion to G push him away for good or will Callen find that she is a mystery worth solving after all?

Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize here.

Author's Note:

* * *

Mariposa

* * *

"How'd you get this number?"

"Charlotte, you really think I couldn't get a hold of a simple telephone number?" Dracul scoffed holding his cell phone to his ear.

"What do you want?" She kept her voice somewhat low so Kensi wouldn't overhear.

"I could see it in your eyes when we met. You have a lot of questions. I'm willing to provide the answers." He offered his niece.

"In exchange for what? How do I know you won't kill me?" Her tone was incredulous.

"You leaving this city with me. I may be a murderer, but I would never hurt you. All our family has wanted was to be reunited with you." Dracul spoke as he pulled out his gun.

"I'm not going anywhere, Uncle."

"Oh but you will, my dear niece, or my next bullet is going right through Agent Blye's skull." He warned letting her hear the sound of him clicking the safety off of his gun.

.

 _There was no way she was getting by an alert Kensi Blye. Rummaging through her bag, Charlie pulled out a small white bottle feeling the guilt already begin to surge through her. She had to do it though. It was the only way to protect her best friend. Crushing the pill, she poured the powder into a glass of lemonade dissolving it. She gave it a good stir and tossed the spoon into the sink before heading out to the living room area to give it to Kensi._

 _"Hey, you looked thirsty." Charlie smiled handing the glass to her best friend._

 _Kensi smiled taking a long sip from the glass. "Mm, thanks. I was just about to go get a drink anyway."_

 _"No problem."_

 _The brunette agent didn't feel any different at first, but slowly the pill started to take hold. She tried her hardest to fight off the drowsiness. It was in vain as she passed out on the couch. Luckily she had already set the glass on the coffee made sure she was comfortable draping a blanket over her and sighed._

 _"I'm sorry, Kens. Maybe one day you'll forgive me." Slinging her bag over her shoulder, she grabbed Kensi's keys and hurried out of the house._

 _._

"Something's not right." Marty whispered entering the house from the back door.

Callen tightened his grip on his gun as he entered through the front door. They cleared the house room by room, but it was Marty that found Kensi laid out on the couch. He looked around clearing the room before rushing to her side. A sigh of relief fell from his lips when he felt her strong pulse. He brushed her hair away from her face pressing a soft kiss to her head.

"She's asleep." He confirmed looking over at Callen.

The senior agent nodded his head relieved that she was okay. "No sign of Charlie. Even her bag is gone."

"Garage is empty. She must have taken Kensi's car." Sam announced just as the agent in question shifted in her sleep.

They didn't know for sure what had happened though so they continued investigating. Nell and Eric were called to track the GPS of Kensi's car. It was only a little while later when Kensi finally woke up. She was disoriented at first, but Marty calmed her.

"Kensi, what happened?" Sam asked as gently as he could.

The brunette shook her head glancing toward the glass on the table. "Everything was fine. I was about to get a drink and she gave me a glass of lemonade. So I drank it. Then little by little, I started getting drowsy. I vaguely remember hearing her say sorry. Where is Charlie?"

.

Parking the car near the small private airport, the raven haired woman sighed setting her phone down on the scrap of paper that lay flat on the passenger's seat. She had scribbled a quick note on it while at a red light. Grabbing a bag, Charlie left the car making her way across the tarmac where her uncle was waiting beside a small private jet. Her gaze followed the steps up to the open door and she hesitated.

"What's wrong, Charlotte?" Dracul gestured for her to board the plane.

"Nothing. I just.. get nervous about flying." She admitted slowly walking up the steps.

"Nonsense. It'll be fine." He assured his niece moving to follow her.

The NCIS agents pulled to a stop near the parked car and hurried out looking around. It was Callen that caught sight of the plane boarding and took off toward it. Hearing him shout, Charlie stopped in the doorway of the plane and turned to look. A gasp fell from her lips when she realized it was Callen. She froze feeling the cold steel of Dracul's gun press firmly against her temple.

Callen's grip on his gun tightened. "Let her go, Dracul. It's over."

"It's not over unless I say it's over, Agent. Now lower your gun and let us leave. Or my darling niece will be leaving here in a body bag." Dracul instructed with a sinister tone.

"Callen, I'm sorry. Please just do what he says. Tell Kensi... Tell her I'm sorry for stealing her car." Charlie pleaded hoping he got the hint.

He reluctantly lowered his gun taking a step back. "Charlie..."

"And now I get to do something my sister should have done a long time ago." He moved to point the gun toward Callen.

"Uncle, no!" Charlie placed her hand on top of the gun forcing him to lower it and shoved them both into the plane.

"Why not?" He looked at her in shock as she shut the door.

"Because you want me to cooperate. Stop threatening my friends and I will." A newfound sense of courage coursed through her as she turned to look at her uncle.

"You sound and look just like your mother. Well I'll be damned. Fine, I'll agree to your demands, but only because you're my niece. My apologies for holding you at gunpoint. I hope you know I was never truly going to harm you." He assured her placing the safety back on his gun and holstering it.

"Even if he called your bluff?"

"I would have shoved you into the plane and shot him." Dracul moved to sit down.

.

 _Callen,_

 _I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Kensi will probably never forgive me, but I had to do it. Dracul, my uncle, he said he'd put a bullet in her skull if I didn't leave and I knew she wouldn't just let me go on my own. I don't know what he wants other than my help. Maybe mom might know._

 _-Charlie_

 _._

The safe house was silent as the agents sat down with the two older women. It was apparent that something had happened with Charlie, but neither were sure quite what that could be.

"Dracul lured your daughter away from the safe house with a threat against Kensi's life. They left in a private jet." Sam informed them gently looking at Sofia.

Sofia gasped covering her mouth with her hand. "No.. no.. not my baby!"

"We'll get her back safely." Hetty assured her.

Callen nodded his head in agreement while Sam looked at his phone. "Your brother said he needed her help. Do you have any idea what that might be about?"

The brunette sighed shaking her head in bit. "I haven't seen my brother since before Charlotte was born. He was closer to my sister than he was to me, but they were twins so that was to be expected."

"That was Nell. Dracul's plane landed in Hawaii." He informed them.

A look of realization appeared on her face. "Our parents went to Hawaii on honeymoon. Mother loved it there. Father had an estate built just for her. There's a vault hidden there. Father thought it was a brilliant idea because no one would think to look for the Comescu family vault in Hawaii of all places."

"That still doesn't explain why Dracul would need Charlie for." Hetty spoke up.

Sofia sighed running her fingers through her hair. "As technology advanced, so did the security measures of the vault. After father and our older brother were killed, mother grieved in Hawaii and she sort of lost it a bit. She had the vault updated making it so only her and her daughters could access it. Dracul always hated that."

Callen's eyes widened a bit. "And since Charlie is half you, she could access it. Do you remember where this house is located?"

She nodded her head standing up. "Yes, I do and I'm going with you."

"Sofia..." Hetty began only to get cut off by her.

"This is my daughter we're talking about, Henrietta. I got her into this mess and I'll get her out of it. Even if I have to kill my brother myself."

.

"I've never been to Hawaii before. It's beautiful." Charlie couldn't help smiling despite the precarious situation she was in.

"Mother felt the same way. Father had this estate built here just for her." Dracul informed her gesturing around to the sprawling home in front of them.

"Grandfather had good taste." She mused stepping inside her family's home.

"He certainly did. Make yourself at home. It's just as much your place as it is mine." He insisted gesturing around again.

She eyed him warily, but did as he said. It really was a charming home. Charlie settled in and then walked around getting to know the place. She was a bit alarmed that he hadn't gotten her to help with whatever it was he had needed help with yet, but she didn't let it show. Instead she continued exploring the home taking note of any potential exits. She stopped at a stone wall that had a vase beside it. The wall was a nice feature and she assumed it must have been a filled in fireplace. Reaching out, her fingertips brushed against one of the stones and to her surprise, it sunk in. Charlie stepped back watching as the wall creaked and slid to the left revealing a somewhat dusty room. Curious, she stepped forward going inside only for the lights to turn on. Everything within the room appeared to be untouched. There was a bookshelf, a cozy chair, and a table. There was also what appeared to be a large safe door. She approached it hesitantly only to get startled by her uncle.

"Ah, I see you found the family vault. I suppose now is as good a time as any to tell you. I need your help opening it." Dracul revealed approaching the vault door.

"My help? I'm not a locksmith." She looked at him bewildered by his request.

"No, no, of course you not. You see, my father was killed at the same time that my eldest brother was killed. In her grief, mother had the security measures changed for the vault. She didn't believe that I would outlive my sisters. So only they and my mother can access the vault." He continued to reveal.

"And with them gone, I'm your only shot at getting it open without brute force." Charlie realized looking from him to the vault door that was still surprisingly shiny.

.

"What's in the vault?" Marty couldn't help asking during the flight to Hawaii.

Sofia looked toward him remaining silent for a moment before a sigh escaped past her lips. "Jewelry that's been passed down through the generations, money, deeds to various properties around the world, family photos, and possibly some expensive art. There's no weapons, if that's what you're thinking."

Callen glanced up narrowing his blue eyes slightly. "So he's doing all of this... for money?"

She scoffed shaking her head. "Agent, my brother may be a psychopathic cold blooded killer, but there's a method to his madness. With my sister dead and I believed to be dead, Dracul would be the last one standing. It was only a matter of time before the world discovered the estate in Hawaii. I'm afraid that it is about more than money. I think he wants to replace our late sister with Charlotte."

"Why doesn't he just take control of the family business himself then instead of having someone that knows nothing about it take the reins?" Sam questioned aloud.

The older woman ran her fingers through her dark locks. "My brother never wanted to be in power. When father and our eldest brother were killed, the control of the family and its not so legal business went to my mother since we weren't old enough. I was the next oldest and I was supposed to take over. Mother got ill and I became pregnant out of wedlock. Our sister taking over would have been the perfect set up for Dracul. She did all the work, he got his share of money from the business dealings, and he got to do whatever he wanted."

"And her dying ruined everything for him." The shaggy haired blonde nodded his head in realization.

The senior agent cleared his throat rubbing at the back of his neck nervously. "She knows, by the way. I told Charlie about our shared family history. It was before either of us knew that she was part of the Comescu family."

 _._

Stepping back, they watched as the vault door opened slowly. The creaking sound echoing throughout the room. A light flickered on within the vault and she was shocked to see how much stuff was in there. Dracul stepped inside looking around as if taking a mental inventory of everything. Charlie stood in the doorway just glancing around curiously.

"Come, come. This is all just as much yours as it is mine." He gestured for her to move further into the large vault.

"Okay. I wasn't expecting it to be so..full." The brunette began looking through things carefully.

"Yes, well, mother had a habit of saving everything." Dracul smirked watching as she flipped through one of the photo albums that had been on one of the shelves.

"Is that..." Charlie trailed off looking at a family portrait.

"Your mother, yes, right there. Also my mother, my twin sister, and myself. You come from a long line of very strong women, Charlotte." He spoke softly watching her admire the picture.

"Will you tell me more about them?" She asked continuing to look through the photo albums.

"Of course. I'll tell you whatever you want to know." Dracul smiled knowing full well that he had her right where he wanted her.


	7. Chapter 7

Title: Mariposa

Summary: She is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma. Okay, maybe not quite, but close enough. She's been best friends with Kensi Blye since they were ten years old. No one understands her connection with Hetty except maybe Kensi. Will her distinct aversion to G push him away for good or will Callen find that she is a mystery worth solving after all?

Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize here.

Author's Note:

* * *

Mariposa

* * *

Everything was going according to plan. He just needed a little more time to warm her up to the idea and then they would be off to Romania. Nothing would get in his way. At least, that was what he thought until he heard a voice in the house that didn't belong to either him or Charlie.

"That's not possible." Dracul froze in shock at the sight of his eldest sister standing there alive and well.

Sofia looked over at him and smiled softly. "Hello brother."

"You're...You're dead."

She shook her head. "I'm very much alive. I did what I had to do to protect my daughter."

"What are you doing here?" He went on the defensive glancing around.

Sofia gestured toward Charlotte. "What do you think? Let her go, Dracul. It's over."

"It's nowhere near over, sister. We're going home and Charlotte will take her rightful place as head of this family." He announced before they began to bicker in their native language.

A gunshot rang out silencing them both and there on the stairs stood the young woman in question with a gun in her hand pointed at the ceiling.

.

Not wasting any time, the agents moved in from their initial positions moving Sofia behind them. Dracul moved beside his niece whispering into her ear. It was Callen that stepped forward and she lowered the gun pointing it straight at him.

He held his hands up staring at her. "Charlie, this isn't you. You're not a killer."

"Maybe not, but my whole life has been a lie. I don't know who I am at all." Her grip on the gun tightened.

Callen sighed taking a slow step forward. "You're Kensi's best friend. Tomas' little girl. Your parents lied because they wanted better than this for you. They just wanted to keep you safe."

"I can't..." Tears welled up in her eyes as her hands shook and she lowered the gun.

Before he could approach her any further, a gasp fell from her lips and she leaned forward tumbling down the steps. A crimson stain spread through her shirt soaking the thin fabric. Her mother let out a horrified shriek at the sight.

"She's weak just like her mother. If you want something done, you've got to do it yourself." Dracul sneered aiming his gun at Callen's head amidst all of the confusion.

Callen and Sam both got shots off in Dracul's direction taking him down before he could shoot at them. Sam moved in to check the fallen man's pulse confirming he was indeed dead. It was then that he caught sight of Dracul's gun and realized what they had missed.

"He had a silencer on his gun. He must have shot her from behind." Sam called out as the paramedics came rushing in.

"I..I'm sorry." Charlie choked out as the paramedics worked to prep her for the trip to the hospital.

Callen held her hand feeling her grip weaken. "Shh, it's going to be okay. You have to stay awake, Charlie."

She was rushed to the nearest hospital. The doctors worked fast to assess the situation. Fatigue settled over her quickly and her eyes fell shut. Callen was standing beside her mother just as a Code Blue was called. Charlie had flatlined and there was a frenzy of activity as the doctors tried to revive her. Once she had regained her pulse, the doctors rushed her into an operating room.

.

 _It was a beautiful summer day. The lake was clear and sparkling in the sunlight. Butterflies fluttered around in the air. She could smell the scent of charcoal lingering from a nearby grill. It was perfect. Too perfect. Glancing around, her breath caught in her throat when she saw the man standing a few feet away from her._

 _"Dad?!"_

 _Tomas chuckled opening his arms out to his daughter. "Hello, Charlotte."_

 _She ran into his arms hugging him tightly. It was absolutely surreal to her considering she had never thought that she would ever get to hug him again. They remained like that for a few moments before she reluctantly pulled away. He wiped away the tears that she hadn't realized had fallen from her eyes and then walked her over to a nearby bench overlooking the water where they sat down._

 _"Am I dead?" The brunette glanced over at her father worriedly._

 _He pressed a kiss to her head and chuckled again. "Not at all. This is more of a limbo, if you will. A place between life and death."_

 _"It looks just like the lake where we spent our summers." She smiled fondly at the memories._

 _Tomas nodded his head glancing out at the water before smiling at her. "That's because it is. At least, what you remember it to be."_

 _"So you're not real?"_

 _He draped his arm around his shoulders. "Charlie, of course I'm real."_

 _"In that case, what were you going to tell me the day that you.. you know?"_

 _Sighing, he looked at his only child and smiled slightly. "The truth. Sort of. It's really your mother's truth to tell."_

 _"Yeah, I already know the truth. I didn't exactly react nicely to it." She frowned at the memory of her storming out of Hetty's office._

 _Tomas chuckled slightly at that. "Well who would react positively in a situation like that? You needed to let it sink in and process it first."_

 _"I was mad at first. And hurt. But I get it now. I don't blame you guys for lying to me for most of my life. You were just trying to protect me the best that you could and I do appreciate that." Charlie admitted smiling softly at her father._

 _It grew quiet as they enjoyed their surroundings. They made small talk and Charlie just savored the extra time that she got to spend with her now deceased father. A feeling of dizziness overcame her eventually and she touched her head. Tomas didn't appear too concerned as he looked at her. Their surroundings flickered and she cringed at the sight._

 _"Dad, what's happening?"_

 _He helped her to her feet and sighed softly. "It's time to say goodbye."_

 _"No!"_

 _Tomas nodded his head hugging her tightly. "Yes. It's only for now, Mariposa. I'll always be around if you need me."_

 _A warm bright light appeared at the end of the dock. It felt so inviting and she almost felt drawn to it. Tomas pulled away from her and began his stroll toward the light. She hesitated before starting to follow him._

 _He looked back at her and smiled. "I love you, Mariposa, but it's time for you to wake up."_

 _Her father disappeared into the light as she took another step toward it. The sound of someone calling her name made her stop and she turned around only to see Callen standing by her family's lake house. Charlie couldn't resist smiling as she ran over to him distancing herself from the light. He caught her in his arms and she hugged him tightly. Pulling back a bit, she looked at him before leaning in for a kiss._

 _._

Charlie's fingers twitched slightly in Callen's grasp. It had been nearly a week since her surgery. She had been transferred to a hospital in Los Angeles to recover after the doctor had announced that she was in a coma. Her eyes slowly opened and she visibly cringed at the sudden brightness. She tried to speak, but her voice came out barely above a gravelly whisper. A frenzy of activity suddenly began as nurses and a doctor surrounded the bed examining her. It felt like hours, but it was truly only a matter of minutes later when they were finally done. As they left, her mother entered the room with Hetty by her side.

"Mom..."

Sofia moved to her daughter's side brushing her hair away from her face. "Shh, darling. Relax. Save your strength. You're going to be just fine."

With permission from her doctor, Marty entered the room with Kensi a short while later with some of Charlie's favorite food. Her stomach grumbled at the scent and she sat up in anticipation wincing a bit. Kensi wheeled the bedside table next to the bed so that it was over her best friend's lap and they set the food down onto the surface. She gave them a thankful smile and began to eat. As time passed, the warmth returned to her skin making her no longer look deathly pale. She felt frustrated though because she could tell everyone was walking around on eggshells around her, so to speak. Before she could address it, Charlie finally got to get out of her hospital bed. She stood up out of the bed only to nearly fall over if it weren't for Callen catching her in time. Her legs were completely numb from laying down for so long. He sat her down in a nearby wheelchair and she sighed as he pushed her toward the ladies room. Once she was done, she wheeled herself out and looked at him.

"I'm sorry."

He shook his head wheeling her out into the hospital courtyard so she could have some fresh air and feel the sunshine on her skin. "You have nothing to be sorry for."

"Yes, I do, Callen. All this time I've blamed you for Hetty being shot only to find out I was the reason she was in Romania." Charlie frowned glancing away from him.

Callen sighed as he sat down on a bench looking at her. "She was protecting both of us. Hetty is perfectly fine now and she wouldn't want either of us feeling guilty. You know that."

"I hate hospitals. I hope I can get out of here soon." She sighed not so subtly changing the subject.

He chuckled a bit squeezing her hand gently. "Yeah, I'm not fond of them either."

.

It was another week before the doctor felt that Charlie was healthy enough to be released from the hospital. Instead of returning to Kensi's place, she went home with her mother knowing they had a lot to discuss. She also maintained regular sessions with Nate at Hetty's request though she knew it was needed after everything that had happened recently.

.

Nate looked over at her as she relaxed in her seat. "How have you been lately?"

"I've been alright, actually. Mom and I hashed everything out. No more secrets. It feels pretty good." She smiled softly at the thought.

He nodded his head jotting down a few notes. "And Kensi?"

"Things are still slightly awkward there, but we're working through it."

The psychologist made another note. "Good, good. Callen?"

"I'm not talking about that, Nate."

Nate sighed leaning forward a bit. "Charlie..."

"There's nothing to talk about there. I've kind of been avoiding him." She finally admitted out loud.

He eyed her curiously for a moment. "Why do you think you've been avoiding him?"

"I.. guilt mostly. I know it was family members that I never even knew, but it was still my family that killed his family. It was my family that tried to kill him all these years. I kind of feel like I don't deserve to talk to him, you know?"

Nate gave her a sympathetic look. "If that were true, he wouldn't have visited you every day while you were in the hospital."

"I've been cleared to come back to work. I feel like I'm ready, you know. I'm healed and it's been a little while since everything. I even started the process of trying to become a field agent." Charlie smoothly segued into another subject.

He raised his eyebrow noting her tactic and shook his head. "Field agent is a big step up. I would never try to dissuade you, but are you sure you can handle it emotionally?"

"You mean if I end up on a case with Kensi and she ends up in danger, will I break down? I think I can handle it. When my dad died and Kensi disappeared, I didn't freak out. I was able to hold it together and find her. Granted, I got kidnapped right after finding her, but still."

He nodded jotting down a note. "And then you held your captor at gunpoint."

"He murdered my father. He murdered Kensi's father. If he had been pointing a gun at me and not backing down, I would have shot him in an instant. Holding him at gunpoint in that moment was my grief over my father's death taking over."

.

"Well?"

Nate sighed looking up from his desk. "She's made an incredible amount of progress since her initial session."

"That's wonderful to hear. Did you fill out the assessment form?" Hetty looked over at him.

He nodded handing over the file to her. "It's right here."

"Hmm." She took it flipping it open and read it over.

Nate watched her carefully. "I just hope I made the right decision."

"I believe you did, Dr. Gertz. I believe you did." Hetty smiled slightly at him and left the office.


	8. Chapter 8

Title: Mariposa

Summary: She is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma. Okay, maybe not quite, but close enough. She's been best friends with Kensi Blye since they were ten years old. No one understands her connection with Hetty except maybe Kensi. Will her distinct aversion to G push him away for good or will Callen find that she is a mystery worth solving after all?

Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize here.

Author's Note:

* * *

Mariposa

* * *

Callen watched as she walked right past him without a word and he sighed. "Damn it."

"Still ignoring you?" Sam chuckled slightly at him.

He shot a look. "No. You think?"

"Oh G, you got it bad, my friend."

.

It lasted another week before Charlie finally stopped ignoring Callen. Her first case as a field agent had concluded leaving her clothes stained in dirt and blood. A cut on the side of her forehead near her temple dripped blood down her face. After she was cleared from having a concussion, Callen volunteered to bring her home since everyone else was preoccupied. She didn't have it in her to fight with him at that moment so she gave in and agreed to let him drive her. It was only when he parked his car that she realized that they were at his house.

"Callen..."

He simply smiled at her. "I know, but the doctor did say that someone needed to keep an eye on you."

"I can keep an eye on myself, thank you very much." She stubbornly retorted as she got out of his car.

Callen locked the car and led her inside setting her bag down. "Why don't you go wash up and then I'll help you with your bandage?"

The brunette held her tongue and grabbed her bag walking off toward his bathroom. She turned on the shower getting the water just right and then stripped down stepping in. Washing off the remnants of her day had actually made her feel much better. When she was done, she turned off the water and dried herself with a towel. She got herself changed into comfortable clothes and sighed when she heard the knock at the door.

"Come in."

He walked in grabbing the first aid kit and then sat her down on the counter. "Feeling better?"

"A bit. Yeah. Thank you." She smiled slightly at him.

Callen focused on the cut on her forehead applying a bit more antibiotic ointment before covering it with a bandage. Once he was done, she leaned in pressing their lips together in a gentle kiss. His hands cupped her face as he returned the kiss for a moment before pulling away.

"Is this the part where you're mad at me?"

He chuckled softly at her. "I'm not mad at you. Don't get me wrong, I love kissing you, but you're injured."

"I'm sorry for ignoring you. It was kind of immature on my part. I just... I don't know. I have so much I want to say and I don't know how to say it." Charlie finally admitted sighing softly.

Callen smiled picking her up and carrying her out of the bathroom. "I forgive you. You've been through so much lately. I get it."

"Yeah." She turned the bathroom light off as they passed it.

He settled in his bed with her in his arms and draped the blanket over them. "I'm here when you're ready to talk."

.

 _Kensi looked at her best friend in shock. "Wait, hold on, it was Callen that kept you from going into the light?"_

 _"See? Even you know it's crazy. I mean, yeah, we've sort of gotten to know each other. We slept together twice. But that's it." She shook her head taking a sip of her drink._

 _The tall brunette laughed at her. "Oh honey. You've fallen hard, haven't you?"_

 _"No. I haven't even spoken to him since I left the hospital." Charlie was glad their friendship was on the mend, but she wasn't sure if this was helping._

 _Kensi snorted laughing again. "And how is that working out for you?"_

 _"I miss him, as crazy as it sounds."_

 _She smiled raising her drink to her lips. "Like I said, you got it bad."_

 _"Oh like you and Deeks?"_

 _Kensi grinned, "Hey, at least I am up front with how I feel about him unlike someone I know."_

 _._

Unlike the last time she had stayed the night, this time Callen found that she hadn't run off the next morning. Charlie stopped ignoring him after that and her staying the night soon started becoming routine. She liked it and that scared her. Callen on the other hand loved it. His once empty house was slowly but surely beginning to feel like a home which was becoming a surprisingly pleasant change for him.

"Hey G, your girl's back." Sam teased nudging his partner playfully.

Pulled from his thoughts, Callen looked up only to feel his breath get taken away when he saw her all dressed up from her undercover op. "Wow. You look...beautiful."

"Thank you, Agent Callen." She blushed and made her way toward the changing room.

He could hear Sam's chuckle as he followed grabbing her arm once they were out of sight of everyone and pulling her into a searing kiss. Charlie cupped his face returning the kiss without a second thought. At least until her common sense kicked in.

"Callen, we're at work." Charlie giggled softly as she pulled back slightly.

Callen simply smiled resting his forehead against hers. "You're breathtaking, you know that?

"And you are really sweet. I've got to go change though." She gave him another kiss and then ran off.

.

"They still haven't admitted it, have they?" Marty mused pressing a kiss to the side of Kensi's head.

She smiled and laughed softly. "Not even once."

"We could always lock them in a room." He suggested draping an arm around her shoulders.

Kensi snorted shaking her head. "They'd kill us. Leave them be. They'll figure it out in their own time."

"But I want to win the bet." Deeks mock whined making her laugh.

She smacked his chest playfully and kissed his cheek. "Well you haven't lost it yet. How about you distract yourself by taking me to dinner?"

"Oh Fern, I thought you'd never ask."

.

Clothes were strewn around the bedroom. The only sound being that of their heavy breathing. Charlie lay snuggled up beside Callen with one leg draped over his leg and a sheet tangled up around them. Her head and hand resting against his bare chest. They hadn't planned on ending up like this tonight and yet neither seemed to regret it.

"We're.. We're getting really good at the whole spontaneous sex thing." She laughed softly as she caught her breath.

Callen chuckled pressing a kiss to her head. "Yeah we are."

"A girl could get used to this." Charlie sighed contently not fully realizing what she had just said.

He smiled wrapping his arm around her waist holding her close. "Move in with me."

"Very funny."

Callen tilted her head up so that she was looking at him and kissed her lips softly. "I'm serious, Charlie. Move in with me."

"I.. I don't know." She returned the kiss and looked at him unsure.

He sighed stroking her face gently. "You're here all the time. We sleep here together practically every night. Why not make it official?"

"Well when you put it that way, I suppose it makes sense. Alright. I'll do it. I'll move in." Charlie slowly smiled at him.

Callen grinned and pulled her into another kiss which only made her giggle.

.

Kensi smirked watching him. "You guys are moving in together?"

He smiled at the thought. "Yeah we are. Still have a lot to work through, but it's a good first step."

The tall brunette hugged him and laughed. "Well I'm happy for you guys. I know you won't hurt her, but I still reserve the right to kick your ass if you do."

Callen chuckled returning the hug. "Deal and thank you."

Kensi pulled away laughing softly. "Well let's get this case over with so we can get her moved in already."


	9. Chapter 9

Title: Mariposa

Summary: She is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma. Okay, maybe not quite, but close enough. She's been best friends with Kensi Blye since they were ten years old. No one understands her connection with Hetty except maybe Kensi. Will her distinct aversion to G push him away for good or will Callen find that she is a mystery worth solving after all?

Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize here.

Author's Note:

* * *

Mariposa

* * *

"Deeks and Charlie will work the bar. Kensi will work the bottle service. I'll be the VIP client and G will be my manager, agent, whatever." Sam went over their roles again.

"Do we get to keep the tips?" The shaggy haired blond asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No, you bonehead. We'll give them to the actual waitstaff afterward." Charlie laughed ruffling his hair playfully.

He swatted her hands away and fixed his hair. The team finished the briefing and then separately headed over to the club. Deek and Charlie took their positions behind the bar blending in seamlessly. Kensi slipped into the VIP area setting up the bottle service areas. Callen and Sam showed up a little after the club opened. They were led back to the VIP area without a problem.

"Group headed your way. Three dressed up ladies. Four men in suits. At least one man is armed from what I can see." Deeks covertly spoke as he ducked down to grab a clean glass.

"Got it. See them now." Sam responded subtly keeping an eye on the group that was entering the VIP area.

Kensi took their orders and walked back over toward the bar. "Two vodka tonics, A Cosmopolitan, A Club Soda, Two tequila sunrises, and a beer. Oh and a bottle of vodka for the table. Also they want to know if the pretty lady from the bar can join them."

Callen's jaw tightened at that. "Hell no."

"Down boy, I'm not going anywhere." Charlie couldn't help giggling softly as she began to help Deeks prepare the drinks.

"Are you two done flirting?" Sam chuckled softly watching his partner visibly relax.

He mumbled something and elbowed Sam in the ribs lightly.

"Charlie, tell your boy to stop beating me up."

"Children." She let out a light laugh and shook her head.

.

The undercover op was going as planned until suddenly it wasn't. Smoke started filling the VIP area and the rest of the club. Chaos ensued as the club goers frantically began to flee from the building. Deeks, Charlie, and Kensi helped make sure everyone got out safely. Sam and Callen watched the women from the group they were watching flee. The men went out of a back door and the two male agents followed them guns drawn. Once the building was clear, firefighters went in to find the source of the smoke.

Kensi sighed leaning against a car. "Guys, the firefighters said it wasn't a fire. It was two smoke grenades. They're being bagged and sent to the lab."

"Alright. We're in the back of the building. The group of men went out of a back door in the VIP area."

Sam was cut off by the sound of gunfire. Deeks, Kensi, and Charlie made their way through the now cleared building to the back. Charlie stepped out into the back alley looking around. The sound of screeching tires caught her attention and she found herself frozen as a pair of headlights came speeding toward her. At the last second, she was shoved out of the way back into the building. She heard a sickening thud and then the vehicle stopped.

"Put him in the back." A heavily accented male voice could be heard.

"What about the girl?" Another male voice was then heard.

"Leave her. There's always more girls." The heavily accented male chuckled.

.

"Hey, easy, are you alright?" The older man asked as he helped her up.

"I think so. Yeah. Thanks, Sam." Charlie smiled softly at him once she got to her feet.

"What happened?" Deeks asked approaching them with Kensi.

"I went outside. It was clear and then there was a car. I think it was a van. All I really saw were headlights. They were speeding toward me and then I got shoved back into the building." She recalled watching as the two men began looking around outside for clues.

"Nell, Eric, there's security cameras back here. See if you can pull the footage." The blond spoke into his comms once he noticed the cameras.

Kensi glanced around realizing they were missing someone. "Uh guys, where's Callen?"

 _._

Her blood ran cold as she stood in the office watching the footage of Callen shoving her out of the way and then getting hit by the van. She turned away composing herself and sighed. Nell closed the footage opening a few other screens instead.

"Using footage from other security cameras and traffic cameras in the area, we were able to get a rough idea of the direction they were headed in. We also managed to get a clear shot of the license plate. Van came back as stolen from a construction site two days ago." Nell informed the team.

Eric's fingers ran across the keys pulling up a website. "We also just received this link. We're trying to pinpoint the IP address, but they have it bouncing through so many different proxy servers that it's nearly impossible to determine."

"Is it safe?" Sam looked at him.

Eric nodded, "We scanned it. It's perfectly safe."

The image of Callen tied to a chair appeared on the screen making Charlie gasp. She reached out brushing her fingertips against his image.

"It's simple. You get us our guns back. We let you go." The heavily accented male spoke.

Callen coughed spitting out some blood. "More like I get you the guns back, you kill me."

"Ahh, he's a wise one." He chuckled and then smacked Callen across the face.

She winced watching the stream unable to look away from it.

"Maybe we'll go back and kill that pretty little bartender instead, eh?"

His blue eyes narrowed at the older man. "Touch her and I'll kill you."

"There it is. Seems we've touched a nerve. You know the deal, Agent. Get us what we want and we won't have to harm a hair on her pretty head."

Callen was untied and led over to a fax machine. They watched as he pressed a few buttons and suddenly the fax machine on their side came to life with activity. It was a page of detailed instructions. Eric smacked his head and began rapidly typing away. Nell grinned when she realized what he was doing.

"They masked the IP address for the stream, but they couldn't mask the number of their fax machine. So if we track it, we might be able to get a location." Nell explained jotting the number down and handing it to Eric.

Eric typed the number in and a map popped up narrowing the location down until they had the exact spot. "Got it! 135 East Palm Street. Construction site. Looks like he's in the foreman's trailer."

The team started preparing to head out and Sam grabbed Charlie.

"Whoa whoa, you're not going anywhere." He looked at her.

"What the hell do you mean I'm not? This is my job."

"Yeah and they've already tried to kill you once. They just used you as a threat against Callen. We can't risk them grabbing you." Sam sighed.

"Fine. All of you be careful then. Just.. Just bring him back." She bit her lip turning to look at the screen again.

.

 _"Mmm, you taste like chocolate and orange." She giggled softly against his lips as they kissed._

 _He smiled against her lips. "That would be the Tootsie Roll pop."_

 _"Got any more?"_

 _Callen held up a bag and grinned. "Take your pick."_

 _"I'll take a cherry one for now." Charlie smiled pulling the red wrapped treat out of the bag._

 _"You've got her eating them now too? You're a menace, G." Sam laughed as he walked by the pair._

 _"What can I say? I like the taste." She smirked pulling Callen into another brief kiss._

 _He smirked returning the kiss happily._

 _"Oh god. Get a room, you two." Sam rolled his eyes playfully at them._

.

"Do you think we're stupid, Agent Callen? There are explosives set up at the entrance. Your team tries to come in and, well, they'll be leaving in pieces."

Callen's face paled at the thought. "What do you want?"

"I already told you, Agent."

He glared at him, "Well you're not getting it."

"Oh look. Your team has arrived. I hope you're prepared to say goodbye. Don't worry, you'll be joining them soon." He pulled out a detonator.

Callen stood up though tied to the chair again and charged forward knocking the man down. The detonator flew from his hand and hit the wall before landing on the ground. He scrambled for it, but Callen kicked him sending the detonator rolling beneath the nearby desk. Gunfire could be heard as his men fought with Callen's team. He kicked Callen in the midsection making him double over coughing. Smirking, the man crawled over and reached under the desk grasping the detonator. A sick laugh could be heard as he pressed the button.

.

The trailer shook as the explosions went off. Callen ducked covering his head the best he could despite his hands being tied behind the chair. The windows shattered sending glass everywhere. Then it all stopped and everything became eerily silent. He slowly rolled over feeling around as much as he could when he brushed against a piece of glace. Grasping it, he picked it up and began to use it in an attempt to cut through the ropes. Callen winced as it sliced through his skin, but he kept going.

"What do you mean we lost signal?" Charlie nearly shrieked looking at them in shock.

Eric typed again as fast as he could. "Hold on. I'm getting a live feed from one of the cameras out front. There's no audio though."

The video feed popped up and everything was still. A flash of light from the trailer caught her eye just then.

"Was that a gun shot?"


	10. Chapter 10

Title: Mariposa

Summary: She is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma. Okay, maybe not quite, but close enough. She's been best friends with Kensi Blye since they were ten years old. No one understands her connection with Hetty except maybe Kensi. Will her distinct aversion to G push him away for good or will Callen find that she is a mystery worth solving after all?

Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize here.

Author's Note:

* * *

Mariposa

* * *

LAPD were approaching the scene with sirens blazing amid reports of explosions. Despite the risk of possible further explosions, the team gathered themselves and headed toward the trailer with guns drawn. Sam threw the door open and looked around pointing his gun. Callen dropped to his knees from exhaustion sighing in relief knowing his friends were okay.

"All clear!" Sam spoke loud and clear before rushing to his partner's side. "G, we're here. You're alright."

He chuckled slightly shaking his head. "I thought he blew you guys up."

"They didn't all go off at once. It was more like a chain reaction. Gave us time to duck for cover. Barely." Deeks added as he knelt down checking the pulse of the man that lay limp on the floor.

Kensi looked around before focusing on the injured agent. "What happened? Oh god, you're bleeding."

Callen sighed wincing as Sam helped him to his feet. "I'm fine, Kens. Explosions broke the windows. Used a piece of glass to break the ropes. He was going to shoot me with my own gun. Fought and the gun went off."

The three of them shook their heads at him acting like he was fine while also relieved that he was, in fact, okay. The team left the trailer with Deeks straying off to brief the LAPD while Kensi and Sam steered Callen toward one of the waiting ambulances. He kept insisting that he was fine, but allowed the paramedic to patch up his hands. A car pulled up to the scene. Callen looked up just in time to see Hetty and Charlie getting out of the car. The older woman said something to her, but he was too far away to hear. She nodded her head glancing around only to spot Sam and Kensi near an ambulance. She rushed over relieved to see that they were alright. Her heart began to race as she looked past them and saw him. They stepped aside and she went straight into his arms hugging him tightly.

Callen instinctively wrapped his arms around her tightly and winced cringing at the soreness that he felt. "Charlie..."

"Callen! Are you alright? Did you let..." Charlie had pulled back when she felt him wince and looked over him for any visible injuries only for her words to be cut off by him kissing her.

His bandage wrapped hands cupped her face lightly holding her close as he kissed her whispering against her lips. "I'm fine."

"Bullshit. You got hit by a van and God knows what happened in that trailer. He needs to be taken to a hospital and checked over by a doctor." She looked over at the paramedics.

Hetty nodded in agreement stopping in front of them. "She has a point, Mr. Callen. I'm glad that you are alright though."

"Good luck with that. G hates hospitals and doctors." Sam chuckled at that.

He watched her in awe keeping her close to him as if he were afraid he'd lose her if she got too far away. "Thank you, Hetty. Charlie, I'm alright."

"You could be bleeding internally." She narrowed her eyes at him.

Callen chuckled and winced again. "Pretty sure I'd be dead or at the very least a lot worse off if I were bleeding internally."

"Please. For me." Charlie gave him a look.

He sighed surprising Kensi and Sam when he gave in. "Fine, but only if you ride in with me."

"Thank you and of course." She smiled as they got him loaded up in the ambulance.

"He's got it bad." Sam laughed shaking his head once the ambulance doors were shut.

The older woman nodded and looked at the three agents. "Mr. Hanna, Ms. Blye, and Mr. Deeks, I expect to hear that you three got yourselves looked over as well."

.

"Mr. Callen, you're a very fortunate man. No broken bones or internal injuries aside from a few bruised ribs. You also have a bruise forming on your midsection. Looks worse than it actually is, I assure you. Also no concussion and the wounds on your hands should heal nicely. So long as you keep them clean and dry. Nothing you can really do aside from taking it easy. You're free to go when you're ready." The doctor informed them signing off on his chart.

Callen nodded his head thanking the doctor and then looked at the woman that was sitting patiently beside his bed. "I told you that I was fine."

"Better safe than sorry." She smiled kissing him lightly once the doctor left.

"Oh I think our boy is going to be just fine." Sam chuckled as they paused in the door watching the kissing pair.

Charlie blushed hiding her face in his shoulder and he chuckled as well wincing a bit. "Bruised ribs. The cuts on my hands weren't bad enough to require stitches."

Hetty smiled pleased that everyone was alright. "On that note, I think we should all head home for the night and get some rest."

"Agreed. C'mon, I'll drive you guys home." Sam offered helping Callen up from the bed.

"You sure you guys are alright?" Charlie asked hugging her best friend and looking at Deeks.

Kensi smiled returning the hug. "We're fine. Probably be sore in the morning, but nothing we can't handle. Promise."

"So is this what it's like to be part of the team?" She asked pulling back.

"Pretty much. You get used to it after a while." Deeks assured her chuckling softly.

Callen draped his arm around her pressing a kiss to her head. "Let's go home."

.

After bidding goodnight to Sam, the brunette shut the front door locking it. She turned around walking through the house in search of her...well... in search of Callen. Charlie pushed those thoughts from her mind smiling softly when she found him in the bathroom struggling to get his shirt off. The shower was already running as she stepped into the room helping him ease the fabric off of his upper body and tossing it aside. Their eyes met and instead of saying anything, he pulled her into a kiss. She returned it happily resting her hands against his arms. Before the kiss could get too out of control, she pulled slightly and looked at him.

"Shower and I'll whip us up something to eat." The brunette smiled at him pressing a soft kiss to his lips.

He smiled and lowered his head trailing kisses along her neck. "Sure you don't want to join me?"

"As much as I'd love to, you're supposed to be taking it easy, mister." Charlie pointed out giving him a look.

Callen chuckled slightly holding her close. "I am taking it easy."

She just shook her head smiling softly as she pulled away and walked out of the room. Callen showered while Charlie busied herself in the kitchen. When he was done, he dried off and got into his pajamas not bothering with a shirt for now. She returned to the bathroom silently grabbing the first aid kit. Making sure his hands were properly dry, she then applied antibiotic ointment to his wounds and then carefully bandaged them up. Charlie set the first aid kit aside and frowned at the sight of the growing bruise across his midsection.

"You are such an idiot, G Callen." Her fingertips barely brushed against the bruise.

He tilted her face up kissing her lightly. "Hey, everything worked out fine."

"You can't just say that like it's okay. You pushed me out of the way and let yourself get hit by a van. Who the hell does that?"

His lips curved slightly upward. "I do, apparently."

"It's not funny, Callen." She rolled her eyes walking out of the room again.

Callen sighed turning the light off and following her. "I would have done the same thing if it were Kensi, Sam, or Deeks."

"I know. Would you have lost your cool the same way if any of them had gotten threatened?"

He reached over stroking her face gently. "Alright, I admit I shouldn't have lost my cool when he threatened you. I'm usually better than that."

"If this is going to keep happening, I'll transfer to a different team or even a different office." Charlie frowned at him.

Callen pulled her close kissing her head. "I can't promise I won't be a bit extra protective of you, but I'll try my best to keep my cool better when my girlfriend gets threatened while we're on an undercover op."

"Girlfriend?" Her features softened as she looked up at him.

He smiled sheepishly at her. "Well, yeah."

"We haven't even been on a date yet."

Callen chuckled softly at that. "We live together."

"Touche. We are so weird." She giggled lightly moving to grab their food from the kitchen.

He smiled and followed her grabbing some ice packs from the freezer. "And what about your first time over here? That was pretty date like."

"Well yeah, but it's not like either of us intended for it to be a date. It was pretty nice though." She helped him get situated with the ice packs comfortably on the couch.

Callen nodded relaxing on the couch as they ate letting the ice packs numb the soreness from his ribs. They ate together and relaxed until the ice packs melted. She cleaned up and put the ice packs back into the freezer while Callen slowly stood up making his way around the house checking the locks. Satisfied, he walked to their room and carefully climbed into the bed. She showered and changed into pajamas before joining him. He draped the covers over them pulling her close.

 _._

"Where do you think you're going?" Her eyes weren't even open, but she had felt the bed move a bit.

Callen froze mid attempt at getting up. "Uh, to the bathroom and then I was going to get dressed for work."

"Nice try. Hetty said there's no need for you to come in today. There's no ongoing case and if you're that eager to do paperwork, I'm sure we can get someone to drop yours off for you." She opened her eyes looking over at him.

He shook his head making his way into the bathroom. Once he was finished, he came back and climbed into the bed relaxing again. She moved over snuggling against him carefully not wanting to put any added pressure on his injured ribs.

Callen kissed her head and sighed. "You know I'm fine, right?"

"Oh please like I haven't heard the story of you returning to work weeks early when you should have still been home recuperating from your multiple gun shot injuries."

He chuckled slightly at her. "That.. I'm a fast healer, okay?"

"Hey, I get it. You're passionate about what you do. The team are more than just a team. They're your friends. They're your family. I do get that, Callen, but you need to get that you can't have their backs if you're not at a hundred percent in the field. All it takes is just one twinge of pain to throw you off and someone gets hurt. Or worse, they get killed." Charlie looked at him seriously.

Callen sighed again and relaxed. "Alright, I get it. You're right. I'm too stubborn for my own good sometimes."

"You sound just like my dad." She giggled softly at the thought rolling her eyes playfully at him.

He smiled running his fingers through her hair gently. "Oh yeah? Is that a good thing?"

"Yeah, I think so. He would have liked you."

Callen held her close. "I'm sure I would have liked him too. He raised an incredible daughter."

"Growing up, we had a very extensive first aid kit. I remember he'd come home banged up from a mission, Mom would patch him up because he hated hospitals, and then he'd go back out on another mission before he was fully healed. If he had to, he'd go to a military hospital because at least there he wouldn't have to explain how he got hurt on a classified mission." She recalled resting her head against his shoulder.

He nodded smiling slightly. "Sounds kind of familiar."

"Uh huh. I bet. Anyway, my favorite times was whenever he decided it was time for a fishing trip. He'd pack up the truck. Mom would take care of the food. Then we'd pile in and we'd make the drive down to the lake. It's so beautiful there. There's houses, lush green grass, docks that you can fish from or get onto your boat from. There's even a little sandy area that's like a makeshift beach." Charlie smiled at the memories.

Callen smiled at the image she had conjured up within his mind. "Sounds amazing."

"I hated fishing. I could never stay still long enough. Dad never seemed to mind though. He got to fish and still was able to see me run around on shore." She laughed softly at the thought.

He pressed another kiss to her head. "I'm glad that you're feeling like you can talk about him."

"So am I. Don't get me wrong, I still miss him terribly, but I've made peace with it. I saw him when I was in a coma. We were at the lake. It felt so real. We hugged and we talked so much. I didn't want it to end. Then at one point I started feeling weird and this bright light appeared at the end of the dock. He told me that he had to go and that it was time for me to wake up. I watched him go into the light and took a step toward him. That's when..." Charlie trailed off blushing a bit.

Callen tilted her chin up so that she was looking at him. "That's when what?"

"That's when I heard you call my name. So I turned around and there you were. I ran into your arms and kissed you which is when I came out of the coma." She blushed more.

He looked at her in awe. "I was talking to you trying to get you to wake up. Maybe you did hear me after all."

"Yeah, maybe I did."

.

 _"It still doesn't make sense to me. Why do we keep killing each other? Why do we keep paying for our ancestors' crimes? Enough is enough. From now on, no Comescu will ever harm another Callen and vise versa." Charlie declared taking another sip of wine._

 _Sofia smiled proudly at her daughter. "So shall it be. It's about time something positive came out of all the bloodshed. Should have known it'd be love that ended all of the hate between the families."_

 _"Whoa, who said anything about love?"_

 _The older woman laughed shaking her head. "Mija, I've seen the way you two look at each other. It's the same way your father and I looked at each other. You can't fool me."_

 _"Mom, no. It's not... It can't be. There's too much shared bloodshed in the past. It wouldn't be right." She frowned at the thought._

 _Sofia placed her hand on her daughter's arm smiling knowingly at her. "When it's real, you can't walk away. I understand your concerns, believe me I do, but it's okay for you to feel something for him. You don't have to feel guilty."_

 _"I just feel like he deserves so much better than the descendant of a family that's caused him so much pain, you know?"_

 _She wrapped her arms around her daughter hugging her comfortingly. "Oh sweetheart. You are a bright, beautiful, wonderful girl. You and Callen are not your families. If he has feelings for you and he's not running away from them, don't you think that maybe you deserve to give it a shot?"_

.

Callen watched her in amusement as she got dressed. "Where are you going?"

"To the store? We could use some more food in the kitchen." She shrugged her shoulders.

He smirked moving to get dressed as well. "Alright."

"What are you doing?" Charlie raised her eyebrows at him.

Callen looked over at her. "Getting dressed to go to the store. Isn't that what couples do? Go grocery shopping together?"

"I... yeah." She blushed moving to fix her hair.

He smiled as he finished getting dressed then grabbed his wallet and keys. "Ready?"

"Yeah. Oh no, you're not driving, mister." Charlie took his keys practically bouncing out of the room.

Callen followed her groaning softly. "Please tell me you at least drive better than Kensi."

Her laughter filled the air as she made her way through the house and out front to the car. He locked the house behind her and got into the car. It was surprisingly a smooth ride to the store.

"You okay?" She asked getting out of the car looking over at him.

Callen took a deep breath and smiled. "I'm good. Better than Kensi, at least. Until you nearly slammed into that old lady."

"Who just stops in the middle of a parking lot like that? Anyway, she was fine." Charlie threw her hands in the air locking the car and moving to grab a cart.

He chuckled walking with her into the store. "Tell me you made a list."

"Of course I did." She pulled out a piece of paper from her jeans pocket as he steered the cart into the produce area. "I may have been blonde once, but I'm not dumb."

His blue eyes sparkled in amusement at her. "You were blonde once?"

"Shut up." Charlie shook her head smiling as she turned to look at the vegetables.


	11. Chapter 11

Title: Mariposa

Summary: She is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma. Okay, maybe not quite, but close enough. She's been best friends with Kensi Blye since they were ten years old. No one understands her connection with Hetty except maybe Kensi. Will her distinct aversion to G push him away for good or will Callen find that she is a mystery worth solving after all?

Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize here.

Author's Note:

* * *

Mariposa

* * *

Nate sighed looking over at the senior special agent in charge. "It's strictly procedure, Callen. You don't have to think of it as a session. Just talking between friends."

The blue eyed agent shook his head. "I'm fine, Nate. I've been through worse in the field before."

NCIS' operational psychologist shot him a look. "When that Russian threatened to kill Charlie, you said you'd kill him if he touched her. It's not like you to lose your cool that easily. If he hadn't been killed, she could have been put in danger by you revealing clearly how much she meant to you."

Callen glanced around and then sighed. "I know. Believe me, I know. I've already spoken about this with her. I'm working on it."

Nate nodded his head smiling softly at him. "Callen, there's something that might help put you at ease. Hetty has been protecting Charlie since before she was born. She taught her how to protect herself to keep her safe from the Comescus. It's perfectly understandable that your instinct is to protect her, but it helps to remember that she is perfectly capable of taking care of herself."

.

Hetty stared at the screen in OPS grimly before turning to address the team. "Under no circumstances do any of you mention this to Callen or Charlie. I will deal with them. Keep me informed of what you find."

While the rest of the team prepared to head out, the older woman walked downstairs just as the pair in question approached their desks. A look of confusion appeared on their faces when the team walked past them clearly heading out to work on a case. Before they could question it, Hetty stopped in front of them.

The older woman took a breath and looked at them. "Mr. Callen, I need you to head out to Camp Pendleton. I'll brief you when you're ready."

Callen looked at her in disbelief. "Sam is my partner. I'm supposed to back him up out there."

Hetty sighed at him. "Fret not, Mr. Callen. I didn't send Mr. Hanna out there without back up. Granger went with him."

He laughed sarcastically. "Right like that's any better."

The older woman narrowed her eyes at him. "You have an order, Mr. Callen. Now get to it."

"What about me?" She looked at the older woman.

Hetty smiled at her. "Oh I have something else in mind for you, dear. Meet me in my office in a few minutes."

.

It wasn't long before Callen was briefed and walked out to his car tossing his duffel bag inside. Hearing his name, he turned around only to smile when he saw Charlie. She leaned up kissing him softly on the lips.

He pulled back after a few moments and smiled. "I'll call you when I can."

"Oh please, I'm not stupid, G Callen. I know you're going to the crime scene." Her voice was barely above a whisper. "Don't worry, I won't tell."

Callen chuckled slightly at that. "Alright, you got me. What's Hetty have you doing?"

"Running errands. I'm supposed to be heading out into town right about now anyway."

He glanced around then raised his eyebrow at her. "Get in."

"Hetty is so going to kill us." Charlie whispered, but didn't hesitate to get into the car.

.

Pulling to a stop across the street from the crime scene, Callen looked over at it. A nice house in the suburbs with yellow police tape stretched out in front of it. He could see Granger and Sam approaching the house. Meanwhile Charlie sat in the passenger seat suddenly feeling herself second guessing their decision to disobey Hetty's direct orders.

"Callen, maybe this wasn't such a good idea. I mean, Hetty gave us these orders for a reason. She knows what she's doing." Charlie reasoned biting her lip slightly.

He sighed glancing over at her. "You can stay in the car if you want."

"No, no, you're right. I made it this far. Might as well see what is going on." She took a deep breath and got out of the car.

The two of them walked across the street showing their badges to the officers before Callen lifted the tape letting her duck under first. They headed up the front path toward the front door. Callen walked past Granger and Sam without a word. The brunette hesitated and flashed Sam an apologetic look.

Granger sighed exasperatingly. "Mr. Callen, Miss Lopez, neither of you are authorized to be here."

Callen grasped her hand leading her into the house. Granger followed them and Sam followed him. The pair stopped when they reached the crime scene. Callen's body tensed up and Charlie gasped squeezing his hand comfortingly. The place was a bit of a mess and there were words written on the wall in blood. At least it looked like blood. They wouldn't know for sure until it was tested. It was what the words said that had caught them off guard.

 ** _We have your father, Callen_**

He didn't even know his father. He only knew bits and pieces about his life before foster care. Letting go of Charlie's hand, Callen moved around the house looking for clues. She gave him space while Granger followed him around keeping a critical eye on him.

The older man huffed as he followed him into the missing man's bedroom. "Agent Callen, need I remind you that you are too close to this case? You can't be working it."

"With all due respect, sir, Callen is this case." Charlie spoke up as the man in question picked up a framed photograph. "So.. do you think that's your dad?"

His blue eyes looked at the man in the picture carefully. "I don't know. Maybe. Don't really look a like. Might have the same eyes."

She watched as he set the frame back down and looked around the room more. Callen walked over to the closet opening it and looked through it. There was nothing that stood out until he started looking at the shoe boxes on the top shelf. One of them was filled with pictures. Pictures of Callen throughout his childhood.

.

"Are you alright? Sorry, that was really stupid of me to say. Of course you're not alright." Charlie sighed flopping down onto the chair beside him as he sat at his desk looking through the photos.

Callen smiled softly at her. "I appreciate the concern though. Hey, this was me when I was ten."

"Really? Oh you played football. Look at you! Such a cutie." She couldn't resist giggling softly at the picture that he was showing her.

Kensi smirked holding up a picture. "He also had a bowl cut."

"So? I had one too." Deeks chuckled handing a more recent photo over to Callen.

Eric approached them with Nell by his side. "The tests confirmed that it was indeed blood, but so far no hits on the DNA. Taking into account a number of various factors, an approximate time of application to the wall was determined. With that in mind, we checked the footage of traffic cams closest to the house around that time and found this."

Footage of a black van speeding past a red light appeared on the screen.

"Traced the plates and unfortunately the van came back stolen. Seems like a dead end right? Wrong. We did some digging and the van was stolen from a parking lot. One that has cameras. So we looked through that footage and found this about an hour before the van was reported stolen." Nell explained as footage of a taxi pulling into the parking lot appeared on the screen.

He adjusted his glasses and glanced down at the tablet. "We reached out to the cab company. The driver was paid in cash. The cab itself has a camera inside. Running facial rec on the footage now."

"So two men huh? Did the cab company say where the driver picked them up?" Sam asked studying the video on the screen.

"Uh, a Thai restaurant downtown. Paid in cash there as well." The petite Intelligence Analyst recalled.

Callen nodded his head thinking it over. "Alright, great job, guys. Let us know if you get a hit on the facial rec."

It was then that Hetty appeared looking at Callen and Charlie. "You two. My office. Now."

.

The petite older woman sat down at her desk eyeing the pair seriously. "I gave you two direct orders, did I not?"

"Yes, but..."

Hetty clasped her hands in front of her. "This case is too personal. You simply cannot work it."

Callen narrowed his blue eyes at her. "Hetty, with all due respect, I am this case."

"He had every right to know, Hetty."

Granger approached them and scoffed. "It's bad enough that you two are breaking protocol by seeing each other, but now you're blatantly disregarding direct orders?"

Callen sat up a bit straighter looking over at the assistant director. "Sir, I asked her to go with me."

He sighed narrowing his eyes at the younger man. "I don't care. It was still disregarding a direct order. Since you're still new, Miss Lopez, you are suspended from field work effective immediately. As for Mr. Callen, I'll be your partner for this case."

The older woman looked over at him. "Owen!"

Granger turned his attention to her. "Henrietta, my decision is final. Now where are we on the case?"

"Uh, sorry to interrupt, but we just got a hit on facial rec. You really should see this." Nell spoke up as she stopped at the outside of Hetty's office with Eric.

The older woman relented nodding at them. "Go ahead Miss Jones and Mister Beale."

Eric pulled up the information onto the screen in front of them. "His name is Vasile Comescu. Brother of Dracul Comescu."

Callen was stoic as he stared at the screen. "Looks like we found our motive."

.

Sofia sat down on the couch in the boat shed watching Callen and her daughter. She was calm yet confused about what was going on. Charlie sighed sitting down on a chair facing her mother. An awkward silence fell over the room until Charlie broke the silence showing her mother a picture.

"Does this man look familiar?" Charlie asked her mother softly with a blank expression upon her face.

Sofia studied the photo for a moment only to cover her mouth tearing up. "It's my brother, Vasile, but it can't be. He's been dead for years."

Callen softened a bit at her. "I know it might be hard, but can you tell us about his death?"

"Maybe we should give her a minute to compose herself."

She shook her head waving her off. "I'm fine, sweetheart. It was a usual day for us. My father and Vasile went to make a deal. I never knew the specifics of the deal. All I know is that they were meeting the other people they were doing business with in a building. A neutral zone for both sides."

His blue eyes widened slightly. "But something went wrong."

Sofia frowned at the thought. "They didn't go alone. They had our father's right hand man and a few bodyguards for protection. There was a frantic knock at our door that night. It was the right hand man. There was an explosion. A bomb was set off. They had tried to run out of the building, but they didn't all make it."

"Were the authorities able to verify that your father and Vasile were among those killed in the explosion?" She asked her mother gently.

She took a breath. "Yes and no. Technology wasn't as advanced at the time. They were able to match the dental records to my father, but all of the tests on Vasile came back inconclusive. He was legally declared dead not long after."

Callen nodded his head letting out a sigh. "Was there anything over the years that may have made you think for a moment that he may have lived?"

Sofia looked at him. "Not that I can recall. Except... right before I fled from Romania, I stopped at my father's grave to say goodbye. As I was leaving, there was a hooded man carrying a flower heading in the direction of my father's grave. I swear I heard him say I'm sorry in Romanian and it sounded like Vasile. I always thought it was just wishful thinking and that I was just caught up in the moment."

Granger made his presence known looking down at her. "Did your brother ever give you any reason to think that he might want to fake his death?"

She froze for a moment and then ran her fingers through her dark hair. "He didn't come right out and say it, if that's what you're asking. Vasile was being primed to take over the family business. He excelled at it. Father thought of him as the perfect son. Then one day Vasile met this girl named Anya and suddenly the business didn't matter to him anymore. He confided in me that he had planned to run away with her."

Callen eyed her stoically. "So Vasile faked his death making it look like an attack on your family and your father gets killed in the process. If he no longer had interest in the family business, why come after me all these years later?"

"Guilt. Clearly he never intended for his father to die in the blast. So Vasile is doing the only thing he could think of to make it right. Ending this blood feud between our families by going after Callen." A look of realization appeared on Charlie's face.

Granger pulled out his cell phone and walked away making a call.

.

"Mom's safe at one of Hetty's places. She got her settled in." Charlie announced walking into the bull pen area of the Office of Special Projects.

Callen nodded his head smiling slightly at her. "Good. Maybe you should go be with her."

"Callen, I'll be fine. You know, maybe we could reason with my uncle. Show him that this stupid feud is over." She smiled softly at him.

He arched his eyebrow at her skeptically. "So he could just shoot us instead?"

"No! I'm just saying that no one else needs to die because of it."

Callen pressed a kiss to her forehead and sighed. "I know. I'll try my best to keep us both alive."

Granger walked past gesturing to them. "We've got a lead, Mr. Callen. Let's go. Miss Lopez, suspension is lifted for now. You're with us."

Before he could protest, Charlie followed Granger out of the building.

.

The car laid on its side within a large nondescript alleyway. Shattered glass glittered against the dark pavement. Granger lay flat on his back on the ground a few feet from the car. Callen was who knows where and Charlie was sitting on the ground with her back against the wall. A gunshot rang out and she flinched jumping slightly. The sound of footsteps then followed. She could hear the glass crunching under the person's shoes. The brunette glanced up as the footsteps stopped only to see a gun pointed right at her face.

"Sofia Comescu is my mother." She blurted out recognizing the gunman from his photo. It was her uncle.

"If you didn't look so much like her, I'd think you were lying." Vasile lowered his gun helping her up. "I'm sorry. Are you hurt?"

"A little sore, but I think I'm okay. Where are the two agents?"

"Come, my niece. I'll show you." He led her away from the wall and past the car.

She was horrified to see Granger laying on the ground with a growing crimson stain on the front of his chest. Sure, they didn't get along with him, but he certainly hadn't deserved such a grisly fate. They stopped walking and two of her uncle's thugs appeared in front of them holding a roughed up Callen by his arms. Charlie was relieved that he was still alive. Two other thugs dragged out an old man whom Callen and Charlie both recognized from the photo at his supposed father's house. She stayed silent watching the interaction between the men. Vasile pointed his gun downward shooting the old man. He collapsed to the ground leaving Callen and Charlie looking on in shock. Vasile then turned his attention back to Callen aiming his gun at his head.

"Wait! You can't kill him..." Charlie pleaded with her uncle desperately unaware that the rest of their team were fast approaching.

"Why not? Naive child. Give me one good reason why I shouldn't." Vasile sneered glancing at her before returning his gaze to Callen.

"Because I love him."


End file.
